BB Fans: How Is A 10 Run Lead Considered a Save Situation?!?

Question

Twins defeated the A's Friday night 12-2. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280829111

Slowey gets the win.

Meyer gets the loss.

Breslow gets the save.

I always thought a save situation was when the team was up by 3 runs or less.

BB fans, how does this one work?

Answer 1

Any time that you are in the lead is a save situation. Saying save situation is just like saying that if you put them into the game then they will get a save.

Answer 2

He pitched the last three innings of the game.

That is a save too, regardless of the score.

Feed Me Answers is wrong and he even cites the proper rule.  Should've looked at the box score, my friend.

Answer 3

I misread my own post at first. This is an edit, but it was a save. The three run condition is one way  to go about earning a save, but in this case the save was earned because he pitched for more than three innings. As JimmyJazz has pointed out, I was wrong before the edit.

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[1]:

   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:

         1. He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs.

         2. He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck

         3. He pitches for at least three innings

Answer 4

he pitched three innings which is consider a save

Answer 5

Yeah, that 3 inning save thing.

Last year one of the guys on the Rangers got a 27 run lead and still got the save because he pitched 3 innings. =)

Answer 6

Yup- entering the game and pitching the last three innings is a save regardless of the lead.

We don't see the three inning save anymore, because typically the bullpen guys go 1-2 innings. Now there have been two in one week - the game you mentioned and earlier this week, Jason Grilli pitched the 7,8,9 for the save for Colorado.