How are wins and losses decided?

Question

How do they decide who wins and who loses in a baseball game? A lot of the time the starter who's pitched over 6 innings doesn't get the win and a closer who pitched 1 inning does. Or a starter who went through 8 but then the closer pitched for 9, 10, and 11( extra innings ) gets the win. How do they decide who is the winner (and loser)?

Answer 1

The winning pitcher is the one that is pitching when the winning run is scored. The winning run could be a run scored in the first inning of a 10-9 game if the winning team never gave up the lead since the first score.

A starting pitcher that does not go the complete game must complete at least 5 full innings of the game and leave with his team in the lead and his team must not lose the lead. As soon as the score is tied, the departed starting pitcher cannot win.

A relief pitcher is the one that is in the lineup as the pitcher when the tie is broken or their team comes from behind to lead and never gives up the lead.

When a pitcher is replaced by a pinch-hitter (in the National League), they are considered the pitcher until the team goes back on defense with a new pitcher on the mound.

The scoring rules on who gets the win are very specific. For example, follow this scenario:

A relief pitcher can come into the game in the top of the 9th inning in a "Save" situation, give up the lead, put his team behind, finish the inning, have his team score enough in the bottom of the ninth inning to have a comeback win, and become the winning pitcher. These are called "Vulture Wins" for a pitcher.

Deciding who is the losing pitcher is much easier to determine. Which ever pitcher gives up the run in the game that is the final run to win the game is the losing pitcher. This rule holds true for any pitcher whether a starter or reliever.

Answer 2

TO WIN:

-a starting pitcher must pitch at least 5 complete innings to get the win, and must have the lead when leaving
(if a pitcher is losing 2-1 and exits after 5 innings, and his team winds up winning, he DOES NOT get the win)

-a relief (not starting) pitcher has to be in the game at the time that his team gains the lead, and hangs on to win. if a relief pitcher is pitching in the top of the 8th, down 2-1, and in the bottom of the 8th his team gains the lead and hangs on to win, he gets the win.
-if a relief pitcher is pitching in the top 9th with a 1-1 score and in the bottom of the 9th the team wins 2-1, he gets the win.
BASICALLY, for relief pitchers, the last pitcher to pitch before the team gains the lead (and wins) gets the win

TO LOSE:

-a starting pitcher can lose no matter how many innings he pitches. if he gives up 10 runs in 1 inning and then comes out, and his team loses 10-3, he gets the loss
-other than that, which ever pitcher gives up the run that gives the opposing team the lead, and his team does not come back, loses

Answer 3

Whoever was the pitcher of record when his team took the winning lead - that is, the last guy to pitch for the winning team before the half-inning where they scored the run that gave them a lead they never lost - get credited with the win. Starting pitchers must pitch at least 5 innings to get the win - if they don't but would otherwise have gotten the win, it will be awarded to whichever relief pitcher did the best job, in the opinion of the official scorer.

Answer 4

The key point is being the "pitcher of record" when the lead is taken and not relinquished again, though there is the innings minimum imposed on the starter in order to get the W.

There's no constraint imposed on getting the L.

It's spelled out in MLB Rule 10.17 -- click the link for the whole thing.

Rule 10.17 Winning And Losing Pitcher
(a) The official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher that pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, unless

[parts (b) and (c) spell out some of the exceptions and constraints imposed upon getting the W]

(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.

Whichever specific run scored eventually proves to be decisive isn't important; it's about taking the lead for the last time in the game.

Answer 5

One catch in the process -- a starting pitcher has to go five innings to get a win. In other words, say a team jumps out to a 20-0 lead in the second inning. It might be tempted to pull the starter, give him a gift win, and empty the bullpen. This way, he has to earn it.

If a pitcher doesn't go five innings and would have been credited with a win if he had, it's up to the official scorer to decide who was the most effective pitcher of the game. That pitcher gets the win. In modern times, if the last pitcher for the winning team is in position to get a save, the scorer won't take away that save to give the pitcher a win. So two different pitchers get their stats pumped.

Answer 6

If the game goes nine and the starter goes five innings then the starter is eligible for the win, but that depends on the score when the starter comes out of the game. If the game goes longer it all depends on who is on the mound at the end of the game.

Answer 7

I was wondering the same thing. I was listening to a game last week and the visitors scored 4 in the top of the ninth to tie the game. The home team scored 1 in the bottom to win the game. So I don't know who gets the win for the winning team. There are such things as no decisions.

Answer 8

after five innings have been played whoever is the pitcher at the time the winning run is scored receives the win/loss

Answer 9

Whoever is pitching when the winning run scores gets the win or the loss

Answer 10

by points. 2 points for a win, 1 point for an overtime loss. If there is a tie in points for the division or a playoff spot, the team with the most wins during the season gets the spot.