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500 SAVES!!


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In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully completed, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers. It first became an official Major League Baseball statistic in 1969.[1]

 

In baseball statistics, the term save is used to indicate the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closer, until the end of the game. A save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, as set forth in Rule 10.19 of the Rules of Baseball. That rule states the official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions[2]:

  1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team
  2. He is not the winning pitcher
  3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched
  4. He satisfies one of the following conditions:

He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
He pitches for at least three innings

If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, but he may be credited as the winning pitcher if his team comes back to win. No more than one save may be credited in each game.

If a relief pitcher satisfies all of the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with a hold (not an officially recognized statistic by Major League Baseball).

Save rules have changed over the years; the above rules are the current as defined in Section 10.19 of Major League Baseball's Official Rules. The statistic was formally introduced in 1969,[1] although research has identified saves earned prior to that point.

A blown save (abbreviated BS or B) is charged to a pitcher who enters a game in a situation which permits him to earn a save (a save situation or save opportunity), but who instead allows the tying run to score. Note that if the tying run was scored by a runner who was already on base when the new pitcher entered the game, that new pitcher will be charged with a blown save even though the run will not be charged to the new pitcher, but rather to the pitcher who allowed that runner to reach base.

If that same pitcher also allows the go-ahead run to reach base and score, and if his team does not come back to tie or gain a lead in the game, said pitcher will be charged with both the loss (as in any other similar situation) and a blown save. The blown save is not an officially recognized statistic, but many sources keep track of them. Once a pitcher blows a save, he is no longer eligible to earn a save in that game (since the lead that he was trying to "save" has disappeared), although he can earn a win if his team regains the lead. For this reason, most closers' records include a few wins. Closers make the majority of their appearances with their team ahead, so a loss usually includes a blown save.

If a pitcher enters a game in a save situation (for a team leading by three runs or fewer) in an inning which is not the last (e.g. in a regulation nine inning home game, pitching the top of the eighth inning), and his team later scores one or more runs to extend their lead beyond three runs, then as long as the same pitcher pitches until the end of the game, he is still credited with the save. As the various roles of relief pitchers have changed since the 1960s, closers who often pitch two or more innings have become increasingly rare; although exceptions remain.

A pitcher also cannot create his own save situation. For instance, if he enters the game with a lead too large for a save, he would not make himself eligible for a save by surrendering enough runs to contract the lead to within save range. It must be a save situation when he enters the game, or he will not be able to earn one.

A notable occurrence of the "three innings pitched" save scenario is the save earned by Wes Littleton in the Texas Rangers' 30–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on August 22, 2007. Littleton entered the game at the beginning of the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Rangers had a 14–3 lead, and pitched the final three innings. The Rangers subsequently scored an additional 16 runs, resulting in the final 27 run margin. However, despite the final score of the game, Littleton was credited with the save as he met all four criteria: 1) he was the finishing pitcher in the game that the Rangers won, 2) he was not the winning pitcher (the Rangers were leading when he entered the game), 3) he was credited with at least 1/3rd of an inning pitched, and 4) he pitched at least three innings (the 7th, 8th, and 9th).

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so if the relief pitcher comes in and does work,

and cleans up where the other pitcher fucked up.

 

thats a save?

 

That is too simple of a way to look at it.

 

Relief pitchers play all kinds of different roles in all kinds of situations. Yes, they do clean up at times.

 

A closer technically comes in during the ninth inning to protect a lead, three runs or less (which would make it a save situation). A closer can come in during the eighth if the "setup man" can't get the outs (i.e. a fuck-up), but this is rare as these pitchers are generally saved for that kind of situation, as to preserve their stamina and arm.

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