Porter Hodge News: Converts save Saturday

Hodge earned a save against the Mets on Saturday, walking one batter in a scoreless and hitless inning of work.

With Chicago holding a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, manager Craig Counsell turned to Hodge to close things out. The right-hander walked the first batter he faced but was subsequently able to induce a double-play groundout by Francisco Lindor before retiring Juan Soto to end the game. Hodge's deployment Saturday against the heart of the Mets' order could be an indication that he's gaining traction as the preferred closing option for Chicago; Ryan Pressly did pitch an inning Friday, but that was in a non-save situation and was his first appearance following a nine-run, no-out implosion against the Giants on Tuesday. Hodge certainly hasn't been flawless this year -- he has an implosion of his own and has posted a poor 16:10 K:BB over 17 frames while recording a 4.24 ERA -- so the situation remains murky.