Cook earns first career save in win over Rox
Ryan Cook - R - Oakland Athletics
June 13, 2012 - 12:20 AM ET
Ryan Cook earned his first career save by protecting a three-run lead Tuesday against the Rockies.
It wasn't easy. Cook put two runners on to start the inning before striking out two in a row and inducing a game-ending fielder's choice from Todd Helton. Grant Balfour tossed a pair of perfect innings to set up Cook, while Brian Fuentes was nowhere to be seen. A's manager Bob Melvin said over that weekend that he'd employ a closer-by-committee going forward, but Cook looks like the best bet to lead Oakland in saves for the rest of the season. The 24-year-old right-hander, acquired over the winter along with Jarrod Parker and Collin Cowgill from the Diamondbacks, has a 0.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP on the season.