relief pitcher

relief pitcher (plural relief pitchers)

1. (baseball) A pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, ejection from the game or fatigue.

   The team's relief pitchers have not allowed a run in the past six games.

• reliever

• closer
• set-up pitcher
• middle relief pitcher
• long reliever
• mop-up man