Hot Potato
Posted by Raphy on November 17, 2009
Every now and then there is game that seems to be headed in no particular direction. One team has the lead , then other, and round and round they go. It's almost as if the team batting last is sure to win. Games with multiple lead changes are usually sloppy, but exciting nonetheless. Lets take a look at a couple of these bizarre games.
PI does not yet have the ability to easily provide us with a list of games with the most lead changes. However, we can still find some crazy see-saw contests by searching for the games with the most blown saves:
| Rk | Tm | Opp | Date | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OAK | COL | 2000-07-17 (2) | 5 | |
| 2 | LAD | COL | 1996-06-30 | 5 | |
| 3 | CHC | MON | 2000-05-14 | 4 | |
| 4 | NYM | PIT | 1979-06-27 | 4 | |
| 5 | OAK | KCR | 1974-06-30 | 4 | |
| 6 | PIT | BAL | 2008-06-14 | 4 | |
| 7 | PIT | STL | 1954-07-21 | 4 | |
| 8 | HOU | CHC | 1995-09-28 | 4 | |
| 9 | STL | MON | 1996-04-23 | 4 | |
| 10 | MLN | CIN | 1959-04-26 | 4 | |
| 11 | BAL | MIN | 1967-08-31 | 4 | |
| 12 | TBD | TOR | 2003-09-25 | 4 | |
| 13 | CIN | SDP | 2008-05-25 | 4 | |
| 14 | CIN | SDP | 2001-08-05 | 4 | |
| 15 | PHI | STL | 1954-05-04 | 4 | |
| 16 | SEA | LAA | 2008-08-13 | 4 | |
| 17 | TEX | NYY | 2006-05-16 | 4 | |
| 18 | CIN | STL | 1993-08-31 | 4 | |
| 19 | TEX | SEA | 2005-04-08 | 4 | |
| 20 | TOR | SEA | 1978-07-18 | 4 | |
| 21 | NYY | KCR | 1979-06-09 | 4 | |
| 22 | PIT | CHC | 1963-08-21 | 4 | |
| 23 | KCR | CHW | 1986-05-17 | 4 | |
| 24 | CHW | DET | 1998-09-14 | 4 | |
| 25 | ARI | PIT | 2005-09-08 | 4 | |
| 26 | BAL | WSH | 1957-04-21 (1) | 4 |
Since 1954 there have been 2 games which featured 5 blown saves and not surprisingly, both happened in Colorado.
On June 30, 1996 the Dodgers and Rockies took turns teeing off in a 16-15 Rockies win. The Dodgers out-homered the Rockies 6-4, but it was not enough. The Rockies scored in the last 8 innings of the game, including 2 in the 9th to win the game.
Here is the inning summary for the game:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Dodgers 0 0 5 1 4 1 0 1 3 15 18 4
Rockies 0 1 3 4 1 1 2 2 2 16 20 1
The pitching lines:
Los Angeles Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BF Pit-Str Ct·Sw·Lk GB·FB·LD· ? GmSc IR-IS LevI WPA H Nomo 5 9 9 5 4 9 2 3.67 29 114-72 40·16·15 7· 9· 5· 0 26 - 1.38 -0.59 C Park, H (3) 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 3.03 5 14-8 4· 1· 3 2· 2· 1· 0 0-0 2.07 -0.03 S Radinsky, BS (1) 1 3 2 0 0 2 0 2.28 7 30-20 12· 4· 4 2· 3· 2· 0 0-0 2.11 -0.31 A Osuna 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2.14 6 23-15 10· 4· 1 2· 4· 1· 0 0-0 1.42 -0.28 T Worrell, BS (4), L (3-4) 0.2 4 2 2 0 0 0 3.15 6 21-15 13· 0· 2 3· 3· 1· 0 0-0 4.45 -0.75 Totals 8.2 20 16 8 5 11 4 53 202-130 79·25·25 16·21·10· 0 -
Colorado Rockies IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BF Pit-Str Ct·Sw·Lk GB·FB·LD· ? GmSc IR-IS LevI WPA M Thompson 2.2 8 5 5 3 2 3 6.61 19 64-42 29· 5· 8 3·11· 4· 0 21 - 1.12 -0.31 R Bailey 2 3 4 4 2 3 1 6.39 11 47-24 11· 4· 9 1· 5· 2· 0 2-0 0.87 -0.12 D Holmes, BS (7) 0.1 1 1 1 1 1 0 5.75 3 12-7 2· 1· 4 0· 1· 0· 0 2-2 2.53 -0.30 S Reed 2 1 1 1 0 2 1 3.77 7 28-21 11· 3· 7 1· 4· 0· 0 0-0 0.71 0.01 C Leskanic, BS (3) 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 6.07 5 23-14 8· 5· 1 1· 2· 1· 0 0-0 2.63 -0.09 B Ruffin, BS (3), W (3-2) 1 3 3 3 0 2 1 5.08 6 21-15 5· 5· 3 2· 2· 1· 0 0-0 3.04 -0.66 Totals 9 18 15 15 6 12 6 51 195-123 66·23·32 8·25· 8· 0 4-2
Four years later history repeated itself, as the Rockies won another home game featuring 5 blown saves. This time their victims were the Athletics who had beaten the Rockies in a wild game earlier that day. It took 10 innings, but the music finally stopped and the Rockies won the game 10-9.
Here are the innings summary and pitching line for that game:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Athletics 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 2 0 9 12 2
Rockies 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 1 1 10 15 0
Oakland Athletics IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BF Pit-Str Ct·Sw·Lk GB·FB·LD· ? GmSc IR-IS LevI WPA
A Prieto 6 4 2 2 0 6 0 5.21 23 83-59 36· 8·15 7·10· 6· 0 62 - 0.92 0.23
T Mathews 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 5.88 2 4-3 2· 0· 1 1· 1· 1· 0 0-0 2.12 -0.16
M Magnante, BS (3) 1.2 2 3 2 0 0 1 5.96 8 32-20 16· 1· 3 3· 4· 1· 1 2-2 2.36 -0.29
J Tam, BS (2) 0.1 3 1 1 1 0 0 2.45 4 13-4 3· 0· 1 2· 1· 1· 0 1-1 2.28 -0.51
J Isringhausen, BS(4), L(4-3) 1.2 3 2 2 2 2 0 3.40 10 43-24 14· 2· 8 5· 1· 1· 0 0-0 3.54 -0.19
S Service 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7.29 1 3-2 1· 1· 0 0· 1· 1· 0 2-1 4.44 -0.37
Totals 9.2 15 10 9 3 8 1 48 178-112 72·12·28 18·18·11· 1 5-4
T Mathews faced 2 batters in the 7th inning.
Colorado Rockies IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BF Pit-Str Ct·Sw·Lk GB·FB·LD· ? GmSc IR-IS LevI WPA
K Jarvis 6 7 4 4 1 5 2 5.71 25 95-60 33· 7·20 8· 9· 5· 2 46 - 0.59 -0.04
B Chouinard 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 3 15-9 7· 0· 2 2· 1· 0· 0 0-0 0.51 0.05
M Myers, H (6) 0.2 0 1 1 1 0 0 1.48 3 20-14 9· 2· 3 1· 1· 0· 0 0-0 1.52 0.06
J Jimenez, BS (4) 0.1 1 2 2 1 0 1 3.75 3 11-5 5· 0· 0 0· 1· 0· 1 1-1 1.51 -0.51
S Belinda, H (5) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.73 1 5-4 1· 2· 1 0· 0· 0· 0 0-0 2.94 0.09
G White, BS (3) 0.2 3 2 1 0 1 0 2.42 5 21-17 12· 2· 3 2· 2· 1· 0 0-0 3.28 -0.62
M DeJean, W (4-1) 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.78 4 13-4 3· 0· 1 2· 1· 1· 0 0-0 3.47 0.18
Totals 10 12 9 8 4 7 3 44 180-113 70·13·30 15·15· 7· 3 1-1
November 17th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Those were some gnarlilicious games. Also the record for most lead changes in a game was set in 1995 I think, but I can't find the game anymore.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Not sure if I'm counting correctly, but it appears the 1st game had 6 lead changes, and the 2nd had 5.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I got 7 for the first one and 6 for the other, but I just counted the 2nd one quickly.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:15 am
I'm confused as to how Isringhausen picked up the loss in that second game shown. I realize (and fully understand) the fact that the game winning run was his runner but when Isringhausen left the game it was tied then Service actually gave up the run.
I guess what it comes down to is, to me, in a game with a walk off play (hit, walk, whatever) .... how can the last pitcher not be the losing pitcher of record if he came in with the game tied, then physically lost the game for his team? Is it not Service's job to get that last out, and therefore have the game continue on...
And again, I understand why it's Isringhausen's run given up in the box score... but is the Win Loss really that simple and doesn't take into account what actually happened in the game?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:15 am
And sorry that's off topic.....
November 18th, 2009 at 9:28 am
The pitcher who is charged with the run that loses the game is almost always the losing pitcher, other than in some unusual decision situations. Therefore, if a guy comes in, inherits one or or more runners, and allows those runners to score and they represent the winning runs, then it is the previous pitcher who receives the loss.
Think about it this way..let's say the game is tied and the pitcher walks the bases loaded with no outs, and goes to a 3-0 count on the next batter. Then the manager brings in a reliever. Let's say that reliever comes back to strike out the batter, and the next batter, but with 2 outs gives up a 5-hop grounder that goes for an infield hit, allowing the winning run to score. Do you feel that the reliever deserves the loss? No, clearly the previous pitcher deserves the loss. This is an extreme example, but it's why the rules are written the way they are. Inherited runners are the responsibility of the previous pitcher.