how do Wins and Losses work for baseball pitchers?

Question

whats decided when a pitcher gets a Loss? for example, yesterday (June 23) the yankees lost 6-5 to the Giants. ChienMing Wang started that game but Scott Proctor got the loss? how does that work?

Answer 1

The pitcher gets the win if he is in the game at the time his team takes the lead and never loses it in that game. The losing pitcher is the one who allows the runs that put the other team ahead, and his team never tied or took the lead again.

(A starting pitcher must go a minimum 5 innings to be eligible to get the win)

In your example, the Yankees were tied with the Giants 5-5 in the 13th inning. Proctor was the pitcher who allowed the run scored by the Giants in the bottom of the 13th, which made him the losing pitcher.

Answer 2

The full rule is 10.19 in the baseball rule book.

A starting pitcher must pitch five innings to get a win, but can get the loss if he pitches less than five innings. In order for him to get the win, his team has to have the lead and stay in the lead throughout the whole game.

If the starting pitcher can't get the win, it goes to the reliever who is the pitcher of record when his team takes the lead and holds it for the rest of the game. When the lead switches hands, all previous pitchers have no role in the decision.

The loss goes to the pitcher who pitched to the batter who ended up scoring the winning run or the run that gave his team the lead that they ended up holding for the entire game.

In the game in question, the Giants won in the bottom of the 13th. Proctor pitched the 13th, as well as the 11th and 12th, so he gets the loss. The pitcher for the Giants who pitched the top of the 13th gets the win.

Answer 3

I guess it would be the official score keeper, but basically after the 5th inning who ever was the last pitcher to pitch when his team took the lead in the game is the winner.

However if for example a pitcher leaves a game and his team is winning 5-3, then his team takes an 8-3 lead, and wins the game 8-6, he doesn't get the win because the opposing team scored more runs then he had when he left the game. So in that instance the pitcher who last pitched before the team got the 7th run would be the winner.

The pitcher who gets the loss would be the other way around, who ever was pitching when the opposing team scored the run that wins the game gets he loss. It doesn't matter if that's in the 1st inning or the 9th.

Answer 4

Your both wrong.

The Starting pitcher has to pitch at least 5 innings. Say he left the game and it was 3-0 and the score ended 3-2 he'd get the win. But say he left the game 4-1 and the bullpen blew it
5-4 the Starting pitcher would get the No Decision and the Relief pitcher would get the loss. basically if ur a starting pitcher and you leave with the lead you CANNOT get the loss.

Answer 5

If a picher leaves while his team is losing all he can get is a loss or a no decision, Unless his team is home and they take the lead for him prior to the top half of the inning..Now if a pitcher leaves the game with the lead and another pitcher gives up the runs to put them beind that pitcher will get the loss or if a relief picher comes in, in a tied ballgame, holds the tie than his team scores for the win in the bottom of the ninth he will get a win IE Wagner last night

Answer 6

For the most part, whatever pitcher is in the game when their team last took the lead gets the win.

Since the yankees lost the lead when proctor was pitching, he gets the loss

Answer 7

For the game winning pitcher,If he is the starting pitcher, he must pitch at lest 5 innings of the game, is still the pitcher of record when the winning run crosses the plate.

The losing pitcher,allows the winning run to score while he is pitching.

Answer 8

Good discussion, just what I was searching for.