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MLB game - home team starter leaves with runners on first and second no outs winning 1-0 top of 8th inning.  

Relief pitcher #1 comes in and gets one out on a sacrifice bunt.  

So now SP runners are on second and third with one and RP#1 still in

RP#1 gets ground ball to third who nails runner at plate.  So now it's runner on third (SP) and first (RP#1) with 2 outs. 

Relief pitcher #2 comes in and gives up double scoring runner on third (SP - tying run) and runner on first (RP#1 - go ahead run). Now home team is down 2-1.  

Runner on second who hit double ends up scoring off RP#2 making it 3-1 end of 8th inning home team losing.

Nothing else happens in 9th that matters.

Who gets the loss?  I'm thinking SP gets a no decision, RP#1 gets the loss and RP#2 gets a blown save

 

 

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

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Yeah, it is weird. I've heard that in the past. If a pitcher comes out with, say 2 runners on, he's responsible for 2 runners even if the runners aren't the same players. Same with assigning runs/ERA. 

My son came out of a game once with a runner on 1st, 1 out. 1st batter for the new pitcher was a FC for an out at 2nd, but that new runner on 1st was still his. He eventually scored and was charged to my son's line. Fortunately for him, there was an error and it was unearned. But, the run was charged to him. 

Thanx for the question that caused me to actually go look at the current OBR rather than look at the 2 year old copy I keep for reference. I didn’t understand why someone would look at 10.19 SAVES FOR RELIEF PITCHERS rather than 10.17 WINNING AND LOSING PITCHER so I figgered I better look at the current rules in case something had changed. Imagine my surprise when I found out there is no longer a rule 10.00!

 

The powers that be have changed how OBR is arranged and rules are labeled. For all intents and purposes everything’s still there but may be in a different section and under a different heading. I hadn’t caught the update and appreciate finding it.

 

As for why Arrieta gets the loss, it’s because he was “responsible” for the run that gave the winning team the lead they didn’t relinquish per 9.17(d).

 

9.17(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.

 

The responsibility can be seen in how the rules say to account for earned runs and runs allowed.

 

9.16(g) When pitchers are changed during an inning, the official scorer shall not charge the relief pitcher with any run (earned or unearned) scored by a runner who was on base at the time such relief pitcher entered the game, nor for runs scored by any runner who reaches base on a fielder’s choice that puts out a runner left on base by any preceding pitcher.

 

Nice job RIPKEN FAN. The rule makes perfect sense when put in the context of all the rules rather than as a standalone thing. If Arrieta hadn’t walked those 2 batters the run that put them behind wouldn’t have reached base.

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