Brandon Kintzler
Brandon Lee Kintzler
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.
- School Dixie State College
- High School Palo Verde High School (Las Vegas)
- Debut September 10, 2010
- Born August 1, 1984 in Las Vegas, NV USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Brandon Kintzler pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2010 to 2015. Used exclusively in relief in 172 appearances over the period, he never recorded a save and had an ERA of 3.38, giving little indication that he was anything more than a generic middle reliever.
He signed with the Minnesota Twins as a free agent before the 2016 season, in time to join a team that finished dead last in the AL Central, with over 100 losses. There was a silver lining for Brandon, however, as, basically out of desperation, manager Paul Molitor began to give him opportunities to save games starting in June (he had spent April in AAA with the Rochester Red Wings). He recorded his first save on June 8th, had a couple more that month, and eventually claimed the closer's job for himself, recording 17 saves in 20 opportunities. He was 0-2, 3.15 in 54 games and allowed only 8 walks all season. He was back in the job at the start of 2017, and was a big contributor as the Twins assumed the early lead in the division standings as he matched his total of saves from the previous year by June 10th, having been successful in 17 of 18 opportunities thus far. He capped his first half by being named to the All-Star team as an injury replacement and pitched one inning in the game. With the Twins' early division lead having become a distant memory by the trading deadline, he was sent to the Washington Nationals on July 31st in return for prospect Tyler Watson. He was the third veteran reliever acquired by the Nats in the span of two weeks as Washington completed an aggressive make-over of its bullpen, which had been the team's Achilles' heel during the first half.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- AL All-Star (2017)
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