Pitchers

[Guest DD]

Pitcher #1 starts game and is moved to shortstop at the top of the 4th inning with a score of 6-4 winning, Pitcher #2 comes in and gives up 5 runs, Pitcher #1 is brought back in and the final score ends up 11-6 our lose.Who is the losing pitcher????

[Thunderheads]

whoever was pitching when the score changed to THEM going ahead.

 

just a guess, but that's what I have

[ALStripes17]

With what im interpreting, pitcher #2 started the 4th inning and gave up 5 runs that were charged to himself. Pitcher #2 lost the lead (and his team never tied it up or gained it back) so #2 gets the loss

[Guest 1omega94]

Pitcher 2 takes the L

[scrounge]

Not to be a smarta$$, but whoever the scorekeeper says is the losing pitcher. As an umpire, I don't care.

[Larry in TN]

This wikipedia page is useful for reviewing the rules from establishing the pitchers of record.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)

 

The official answer, of course, is in rule 10.00.  

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp

 

10.17 (d) A losing pitcher is a pitcher who is responsible for the run that gives the winning team a lead that the winning team does not relinquish.

Rule 10.17(d) Comment: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the losing pitcher is concerned.

 

The short answer is that the losing pitcher is the pitcher who allowed the final go-ahead run to reach base.  Doesn't matter how that run reached base.

[Guest flump77]

we are only required to call balls, strikes, outs and safes, not wins and losses, and keeping track of who the winning or losing pitcher is or runs scored, thats why they should have a score keeper....................

[ALStripes17]

we are only required to call balls, strikes, outs and safes, not wins and losses, and keeping track of who the winning or losing pitcher is or runs scored, thats why they should have a score keeper....................

I completely understand the point, but remember that scorekeeping is a rule. Nothing wrong with having some knowledge of that as well.

Part of baseball, love all parts.

[afaber12]

This wikipedia page is useful for reviewing the rules from establishing the pitchers of record.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)

 

The official answer, of course, is in rule 10.00.  

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp

 

10.17 (d) A losing pitcher is a pitcher who is responsible for the run that gives the winning team a lead that the winning team does not relinquish.

Rule 10.17(d) Comment: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the losing pitcher is concerned.

 

The short answer is that the losing pitcher is the pitcher who allowed the final go-ahead run to reach base.  Doesn't matter how that run reached base.

 

That short answer will be right most of the time, but per 10.16(g) responsibility for a runner can actually fall to a previous pitcher when they're substituted during an inning. If Pitcher #1 leaves the game with a runner on base, they're responsible for that runner and charged the run assuming they score. But if for example Pitcher #2 comes into the game with #1's runner on first, and a batter grounds into a fielder's choice, #1 is actually responsible for that new runner rather than #2. Kind of like working out earned runs vs unearned runs, if that previous runner hadn't been on base, then the new runner would've been out, meaning that #2 wouldn't have allowed the runner to get on base.

 

Its probably pretty rare, and certainly only applies when there's a mid-inning switch, but does come into play sometimes.

[Just-Call-It]

Technically - whoever is charged with the winning run reaching base.