Scott Barlow: Everything you need to know

Barlow allowed three walks but didn't allow a hit or record a strikeout in one-third of an inning, earning the save in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Yankees. He was not charged with a run. The Athletics' bullpen was taxed heavily when Luis Severino (shoulder) exited Friday's game early. That led to some bullpen management, but the plan faltered when Jack Perkins -- who hadn't pitched since Monday -- made a mess of the ninth inning in a non-save situation. Barlow was brought in and threw just nine of 23 pitches for strikes, but he was able to get the final out after allowing all three inherited runners to score. Barlow has earned two saves over his last three appearances, though he doesn't look to be the first-choice option for saves in the Athletics' closer committee. He has a 3.08 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 22:14 K:BB across 26.1 innings, and he's added eight holds. Both Barlow and Hogan Harris have pitched consecutive days, so any potential save chance Sunday would likely fall to Mark Leiter or Joel Kuhnel. It remains difficult to target any one reliever for saves on a team that has five pitchers between two and four saves on the year.

Barlow picked up the save in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Padres. He allowed no hits or walks while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning. Hogan Harris was originally brought in for the save but struggled to find the zone, prompting manager Mark Kotsay to turn to Barlow with one out and two runners on base in a three-run game. The right-hander was up to the task, striking out Nick Castellanos before getting Fernando Tatis to fly out and secure the victory. It marked Barlow's first save of the campaign after he blew his previous opportunity March 28. It remains to be seen whether the veteran will regularly factor into the Athletics' unsettled ninth-inning equation, though he has posted solid marks with a 2.88 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 25 innings this season.

Barlow (1-0) earned the win in Wednesday's 6-5 victory over the Angels. He allowed no hits or walks with a hit-by-pitch while striking out one over a scoreless inning. Barlow was called upon in the ninth inning to keep the contest tied and send it to extra innings, a task he accomplished after working around a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Vaughn Grissom. Courtesy of an RBI single from Tyler Soderstrom and a scoreless 10th frame from Hogan Harris, Barlow was credited with his first win of the campaign. He hasn't factored much into the save equation after blowing his lone opportunity March 28, but the right-hander has still pitched to a 3.09 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across 23.1 innings. Walks have been an issue for the veteran over the past couple of seasons and flared up early in the current campaign, though he has posted a 9:1 K:BB across nine innings in May.