Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland secured his 13th save of the season on Tuesday, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Varland entered the game in the eighth inning with a 4-1 lead. He struck out Mickey Gasper before Toronto added insurance runs in the ninth.
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The right-hander allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three batters. He remains perfect in save opportunities this season.
Tuesday's appearance was his 35th game out of Toronto's first 73 contests.
In June, he has posted a 3.38 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and a 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over eight innings.
His save coincided with a save by his brother, Gus Varland, for the Washington Nationals.
They became the fourth pair of brothers in MLB history to record saves on the same day.
Varland has been heavily used, appearing in 34 of the team's first 71 games. Reports from si.
com have raised concerns about potential fatigue before the All-Star break.
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The increased workload stems from bullpen injuries and Jeff Hoffman losing the closer role, forcing the Blue Jays to rely on Varland in high-leverage situations.
Prior to Tuesday, Varland suffered a loss on Saturday against the New York Yankees.
He allowed two runs on two hits in the ninth inning of a tied game that ended in a 3-1 defeat.
That outing followed a successful Friday appearance against the Yankees, where he earned his 12th save by striking out two batters in a perfect ninth inning.
Varland's recent June struggles have raised his monthly ERA to 4.05 after allowing three earned runs across six games.
He gave up two earned runs in March, one in April, and none in May.
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Despite the recent runs, Varland holds a season record of 3-2 and won the American League Reliever of the Month award for March and April.
