7+ Scoreless IP In World Series Game & No Decision
Posted by Steve Lombardi on October 21, 2011
Last night was only the 7th time it's happened in World Series history:
| Rk | Player | Date | Series | Gm# | Tm | Opp | Rslt | App,Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | GSc | BF | WPA | RE24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaime Garcia | 2011-10-20 | WS | 2 | STL | TEX | L 1-2 | GS-7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 77 | 24 | 0.00 | 0.419 | 3.077 | 1.047 |
| 2 | Brandon Backe | 2005-10-26 | WS | 4 | HOU | CHW | L 0-1 | GS-7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 74 | 26 | 0.00 | 0.447 | 3.586 | 1.075 |
| 3 | Miguel Batista | 2001-11-01 | WS | 5 | ARI | NYY | L 2-3 | GS-8 | 7.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 70 | 30 | 0.00 | 0.464 | 3.938 | 1.270 |
| 4 | John Smoltz | 1991-10-27 | WS | 7 | ATL | MIN | L 0-1 | GS-8 | 7.1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 29 | 0.00 | 0.310 | 2.979 | 1.221 |
| 5 | Danny Cox | 1985-10-26 | WS | 6 | STL | KCR | L 1-2 | GS-7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 70 | 27 | 0.00 | 0.447 | 3.578 | 1.238 |
| 6 | Freddie Fitzsimmons | 1941-10-04 | WS | 3 | BRO | NYY | L 1-2 | GS-7 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 67 | 27 | 0.00 | 0.444 | 3.515 | 1.428 |
| 7 | George Earnshaw | 1930-10-06 | WS | 5 | PHA | STL | W 2-0 | GS-7 | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 75 | 27 | 0.00 | 0.502 | 4.669 | 1.168 |
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File this under: Hang wit'em.
October 21st, 2011 at 2:13 pm
In Fitzsimmons case, he was hit on the knee by a line drive and had to leave the game (it bounced of him and Reese caught it on the fly, ending the seventh). The game was scoreless at the time.
Earnshaw was pinch hit for top of the eighth one out runners at the corners. The pinch hitter walked, loading the bases, but no one scored. Foxx hit a 2 run HR top of the ninth, and reliever Lefty Grove (he was Mack's ace reliever) got the win.
October 21st, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Man, what a tough game for Brandon Backe. His team's back against the wall down 3-0 and he pitches a gem, does exactly what his team needs, and all for naught.
October 21st, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Backe also had an 8-inning scoreless N.D. in the 2004 NLCS:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU200410180.shtml
October 21st, 2011 at 3:26 pm
... so, Brandon Backe's total scoreless starts of 7+ IP:
-- Regular season, 3 out of 79 starts;
-- Postseason, 2 out of 6 starts.
October 21st, 2011 at 3:28 pm
The highest World Series game score by a starter who received a no-decision is 83, by Wild Bill Donovan for the Tigers against the Cubs in Game 1 of the 1907 World Series. Donovan pitched all 12 innings, allowing 10 hits and three runs (one earned), walking three and striking out 12. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
I’d heard about that game — it was the only game of five that the Tigers didn’t lose in that Series. What I hadn’t realized before was how close the Tigers came to winning the game. They entered the bottom of the ninth leading the Cubs 3-1. Check out what happened in the bottom of the ninth.
Frank Chance started the inning with a single to right and Harry Steinfeldt was hit by a pitch. Johnny Kling made an out (probably a pop-up) to first. Johnny Evers reached on an error by third baseman Bill Coughlin, loading the bases. Frank Schulte grounded out to first, pitcher covering, for the second out, scoring Chance with an unearned run, as Steinfeldt advanced to third and Evers to second. The Tigers now led 3-2 with one out to go. And Donovan struck out Del Howard, batting for Joe Tinker, for the third out! — but catcher Boss Schmidt made an error on the third strike,</i allowing Howard to reach first, Evers to go to third and Steinfeldt to score to tie up the game. Bedlam at the West Side Grounds, no doubt. Howard stole second to remove the force. Then, to cap all the craziness, while .227 hitter Pat Moran stood at the plate to bat for Cubs pitcher Orvie Overall, Evers attempted to steal home but was tagged out by catcher Schmidt, ending the inning. Neither team scored in the three extra innings that were played before darkness fell.
I don’t know this to be true, but I’d guess Schmidt’s misplay on the third strike against Howard was probably the most famous catcher’s gaffe in World Series history before Mickey Owen’s passed ball with Tommy Henrich batting in the top of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 1941 Series.
October 21st, 2011 at 4:08 pm
@5/ Kahuna Tuna -
How is "an error on the third strike" different than a passed ball? Did Schmidt let strike three get away from him, then make an errant throw (error) to first that allowed Del Howard to reach?
I realize that a lot of P-B-P info is not retrievable for this long ago, but the World Series is pretty well documented. Not a criticism, just an inquiry. What a tough way to see a win slip away.
October 21st, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Sorry I can't tell you more about the missed third strike on Howard, Lawrence. One Internet source I looked at stated that the pitch was "outside" and that it "eluded" Schmidt. It appears that the official scorer charged a catcher's error where we would charge a passed ball. Someone more knowledgeable than I may be able to say whether that was a typical scorer's decision for that day and age.
Secretly, though, I think you're just teed off at the HTML mistake I made in my post. Fair enough. (-;þ
October 21st, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Games where both starting pitchers came close to being on this list.
2005, Game 4: Garcia got the W for the White Sox only because Willie Harris pinch-hit for Garcia in the 8th and scored the game's only run
1991, Game 7: Morris would have had to come out at some point if that game extended any longer than it did.
1985, Game 6: Actually, both starters should be on this list. Charlie Liebrandt did pitch 7+ scoreless, allowing his only run with 2 outs in the 8th (guess title should probably be "Allowing no runs in an appearance of 7+ innings ..."). If Dick Howser is a bit quicker going to Quiz, maybe Liebrandt does escape unscathed.
Interesting note about 1930, game 5. Earnshaw could have picked up the W, except that he was relieved by Lefty Grove who pitched 2 innings for the win. This, despite the fact that Grove had pitched a complete game the day before.
October 24th, 2011 at 11:14 am
@7/ Kahuna Tuna -
No,one little HTML doesn't bother me,we allmake typos. I guess it's as you stated, that they did not distinguish between passed balls and errors for catchers - if it wasn't a wild pitch, it was an "error"on the catcher, then.