In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances.

How do you get a save in baseball?

Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and finishing the game by pitching one inning without losing the lead.

Why is it called a save in baseball?

The term save was used by general managers in the 1950s, without specific parameters. It simply referred to a pitcher who entered the game with a lead and finished off a win -- regardless of score. Writer Jerome Holtzman was the first to give specific criteria to saves in the early 1960s.

What is a save in high school baseball?

To get a save, you have to be in there for the final out. You also have to have pitched effectively, so if it ended up 14-13 I don't know that I'd give a save. But if he basically held the lead for the last 3 innings, he gets a save in that situation.

How many outs are in a save?

There are three separate sets of qualifications for earning a save, but a pitcher only has to fulfill one of them to earn a save. The simplest situation involves a pitcher entering the game in the ninth inning with a lead of three runs or less and recording three outs to end the game.

How to Earn a Save

41 related questions found

Can you get a save if you give up a run?

If a pitcher, often a mop up man, comes into the game in the 7th inning with say a 12 run lead, he can give up 11 runs and if he finishes the game, will be credited with a save. ... If he protects the lead, he gets the save, even though he pitched less than the 1 inning required by point (a).

What qualifies as a blown save?

Definition. A blown save occurs when a relief pitcher enters a game in a save situation, but allows the tying run to score. The run does not have to be charged to that pitcher. If a reliever enters with a man already on third base, and he allows that runner to score the tying run, he is charged with a blown save.

Can a pitcher get a hold in a loss?

A pitcher cannot receive a win or a save in a game in which he records a hold. ... It is also possible for a pitcher to receive a hold and a loss in the same game should he exit with the lead, only to see the runners he left on base score the tying and go-ahead runs.

How many blown saves did Mariano?

Out of 732 regular-season opportunities, Rivera blew 80 saves. That means roughly nine out of every 10 times he went to the mound, he got the job done.

What does SB mean in baseball stats?

Stolen Base (SB)

How many saves has Jansen blown?

Kenley Jansen sits as the Dodgers all-time leader in saves with 337 but has experienced many ups and downs throughout his memorable career in LA. The 3-time all-star was terrific to start the year, posting a 1.24 ERA with just two blown saves in 36.1 IP during the first half of the season.

How does a pitcher earn a win?

A pitcher receives a win when he is the pitcher of record when his team takes the lead for good -- with a couple rare exceptions. First, a starting pitcher must pitch at least five innings (in a traditional game of nine innings or longer) to qualify for the win.

What does BB mean in baseball?

Definition. A walk (or base on balls) occurs when a pitcher throws four pitches out of the strike zone, none of which are swung at by the hitter. After refraining from swinging at four pitches out of the zone, the batter is awarded first base. In the scorebook, a walk is denoted by the letters BB.

How many saves has Will Smith blown?

The long ball was the fourth allowed by Smith in his past 7.1 frames, and he has two blown saves along with an 8.59 ERA over that span. Nonetheless, Smith is tied for third in MLB with 27 saves and is relatively secure in his position as Atlanta's closer.

Who is best closer in MLB?

• Trevor Hoffman (601 Saves) 8 of 10.
• Rollie Fingers (341 Saves) 7 of 10. ...
• Rich “Goose” Gossage (310 Saves) 6 of 10. ...
• 6. Lee Smith (478 Saves) 5 of 10. ...
• Bruce Sutter (300 Saves) 4 of 10. ...
• Hoyt Wilhelm (227 Saves) 3 of 10. ...
• Billy Wagner (422 Saves) 2 of 10. ...
• Robb Nen (314 Saves) 1 of 10. ...

Who leads MLB in blown saves?

All-time blown saves leader Goose Gossage blew 112 saves in his 22-year career.

What does K mean in baseball?

A strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws any combination of three swinging or looking strikes to a hitter. ... In the scorebook, a strikeout is denoted by the letter K. A third-strike call on which the batter doesn't swing is denoted with a backward K.

Can a pitcher get a hold in the 5th inning?

Description. Unlike saves, wins, and losses, more than one pitcher per team can earn a hold for a game, though it is not possible for a pitcher to receive more than one hold in a given game. A pitcher can receive a hold by protecting a lead even if that lead is lost by a later pitcher after his exit.

What is a 2 inning save?

Under this new rule, a relief pitcher earned a save under one of two conditions: He had to enter the game with either the potential tying or winning run either on base or at the plate and preserve the lead; or. He had to pitch at least three or more effective innings and preserve the lead.

What is a good era in baseball?

An ERA between 2.00 and 3.00 is also considered excellent and is only achieved by the best pitchers in the league. An ERA between 3.00 and 4.00 is above-average. An ERA between 4.00 and 5.00 is average; the majority of pitchers have an ERA in this range.

What does IP stand for in baseball?

Definition. Innings pitched measures the number of innings a pitcher remains in a game. Because there are three outs in an inning, each out recorded represents one-third of an inning pitched.