Comments on: NLCS pitching http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912 This and that about baseball stats. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:57:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: DoubleDiamond http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912/comment-page-1#comment-9461 DoubleDiamond Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:02:25 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=2912#comment-9461 I don't think any of Brad Lidge's 11 blown saves this year came in a Phillies win. For one thing, almost all of them (something like 9 or 10 of them) came in road games, which probably resulted in walk-off wins. While it's true that a blown save in a road game may just tie the game, and bring on extra innings, Lidge seemed to be especially bad in giving up multiple runs in each save. Someone has already pointed out that a lot of blown saves are by pitchers who come into the game before the ninth inning, who aren't the actual "closers" for their teams. At such a point, there's still enough time for their own team to take back the lead and hold onto it (or walk off with it). When a closer blows a save in the 9th, all is still not lost if it was the home team's closer doing this in the top of the inning or if the immediate result is a tie ballgame heading for extra innings. The momentum change may be tough to overcome, but I've seen teams recover from this and still win later. A road team's pitcher may also get a chance to pick up a save in the bottom half of an extra inning, and the same things I've said above apply here regarding a game that has become tied again. I don't think any of Brad Lidge's 11 blown saves this year came in a Phillies win. For one thing, almost all of them (something like 9 or 10 of them) came in road games, which probably resulted in walk-off wins. While it's true that a blown save in a road game may just tie the game, and bring on extra innings, Lidge seemed to be especially bad in giving up multiple runs in each save.

Someone has already pointed out that a lot of blown saves are by pitchers who come into the game before the ninth inning, who aren't the actual "closers" for their teams. At such a point, there's still enough time for their own team to take back the lead and hold onto it (or walk off with it).

When a closer blows a save in the 9th, all is still not lost if it was the home team's closer doing this in the top of the inning or if the immediate result is a tie ballgame heading for extra innings. The momentum change may be tough to overcome, but I've seen teams recover from this and still win later.

A road team's pitcher may also get a chance to pick up a save in the bottom half of an extra inning, and the same things I've said above apply here regarding a game that has become tied again.

]]> By: JohnnyTwisto http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912/comment-page-1#comment-9459 JohnnyTwisto Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:14:39 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=2912#comment-9459 Sorry that's not very legible. I tried to "SHARE" by entering the table code, but it wouldn't post, presumably because it had too many links, so I just copied and pasted. What is the best way to put these tables in our comments, if you know? Sorry that's not very legible. I tried to "SHARE" by entering the table code, but it wouldn't post, presumably because it had too many links, so I just copied and pasted. What is the best way to put these tables in our comments, if you know?

]]> By: JohnnyTwisto http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912/comment-page-1#comment-9458 JohnnyTwisto Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:12:53 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=2912#comment-9458 I'd guess there is a correlation between the Dodgers using so many relievers and having so many blown saves. Presumably they were bringing relievers into games earlier. Any close leads they then lost are considered blown saves, whereas if the starter remained in the game for another inning and lost the lead himself, it would not be a blown save. Sure enough, you can see here the Dodgers were below average in innings per start. (I hope this works...) Tm IP/GS ▾ STL 6.2 SFG 6.1 ATL 6.1 TOR 6.0 TBR 6.0 COL 6.0 CHW 6.0 CHC 6.0 ARI 6.0 TEX 5.9 SEA 5.9 PIT 5.9 PHI 5.9 LAA 5.9 KCR 5.9 DET 5.9 CIN 5.9 BOS 5.9 LgAvg 5.8 NYY 5.8 NYM 5.7 MIN 5.7 LAD 5.7 WSN 5.6 FLA 5.6 CLE 5.6 OAK 5.5 MIL 5.5 HOU 5.5 SDP 5.4 BAL 5.4 Tm IP/GS Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 10/15/2009. I'd guess there is a correlation between the Dodgers using so many relievers and having so many blown saves. Presumably they were bringing relievers into games earlier. Any close leads they then lost are considered blown saves, whereas if the starter remained in the game for another inning and lost the lead himself, it would not be a blown save.

Sure enough, you can see here the Dodgers were below average in innings per start. (I hope this works...)

Tm IP/GS ▾
STL 6.2
SFG 6.1
ATL 6.1
TOR 6.0
TBR 6.0
COL 6.0
CHW 6.0
CHC 6.0
ARI 6.0
TEX 5.9
SEA 5.9
PIT 5.9
PHI 5.9
LAA 5.9
KCR 5.9
DET 5.9
CIN 5.9
BOS 5.9
LgAvg 5.8
NYY 5.8
NYM 5.7
MIN 5.7
LAD 5.7
WSN 5.6
FLA 5.6
CLE 5.6
OAK 5.5
MIL 5.5
HOU 5.5
SDP 5.4
BAL 5.4
Tm IP/GS
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/15/2009.

]]> By: Andy http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912/comment-page-1#comment-9455 Andy Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:24:02 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=2912#comment-9455 Good call, JDV. See here: http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/kbzek Those are the games in 2009 in which the team won but also had a blown save. The Dodgers had a whopping 15 such games!!! The last time a team had such a high total was in 2003 by the Reds. Good call, JDV.

See here:

http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/kbzek

Those are the games in 2009 in which the team won but also had a blown save. The Dodgers had a whopping 15 such games!!! The last time a team had such a high total was in 2003 by the Reds.

]]> By: JDV http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/2912/comment-page-1#comment-9454 JDV Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:16:24 +0000 http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/?p=2912#comment-9454 Can anyone incorporate further information about 'game result' here? That would show how many times a team overcame a blown save and still won the game. I'm guessing the rankings would change a little. Can anyone incorporate further information about 'game result' here? That would show how many times a team overcame a blown save and still won the game. I'm guessing the rankings would change a little.

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