Winning pitcher?

[OldRodKS]

What are the rules for determining winning/losing pitcher in 10U baseball?

Our situation last night:

Our pitchers:
#1 - pitched all of first inning - end of inning score was 3-3
#2 - pitched all of 2nd and 3rd inning - end of 3rd, we were ahead 8-4
#3 - pitched all of 4th inning - game ended due to time limit, we won 11-5

Does anyone qualify for a win? Or do they have to do 3 full innings?

The other team used 4 pitchers
#1 - pitched all of first inning - end of inning score was 3-3
#2 - pitched all of 2nd inning and first out of 3nd inning, left game behind 5-3, but with 2 runners on who later scored
#3 - pitched 2 outs of 3rd inning - at the end of their side of the 4th, was behind 8-3
#4 - pitched all of 4th inning - lost 11-5

Is there a losing pitcher here?

[PetroGuy]

For youth baseball, I have not really found any rules that work for determining winning pitchers. The rules are based mainly on 9 inning games with some rules working with 7 inning games. When you add in the issues of run rules and time limits, the situation gets even murkier. I don't really concern myself with wins and losses for pitchers, so I just made up my own set of rules to work with. Basically, if a starting pitcher pitches at least half of the defensive innings pitched, then I consider them eligible for the win. After that, I use effectiveness as a reliever.

Losing pitcher can still use MLB rules: MLB 10.17(d)

A losing pitcher is a pitcher who is responsible for the run that gives the winning
team a lead that the winning team does not relinquish.
Rule 10.17(d) Comment: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as
the losing pitcher is concerned.

Based on the above, I would give the win to #2 for your pitchers and the loss to #2 of the other team.

Anyone else use different rules for shorter games like this?

[OldRodKS]

Based on the above, I would give the win to #2 for your pitchers and the loss to #2 of the other team.

That's what I ended up doing. It just felt right.

[box scorer]

Our situation in a game this week was we had a lead of 6-0 but the other team scored 8 runs in one inning.

4 runs were credited to the starting pitcher and that is strait-forward

then the first relief pitcher allowed 3 men on base.

A Second relief pitcher came on and all three runners that the first relief pitch put on scored but two of the runs were 'unearned'.

So it was 7-6...but the last two runs were unearned and scored when the second relief pitcher was pitching.

who is recorded as the losing pitcher?

thank you.

[PetroGuy]

Unfortunately, determination of losing pitcher is done without regard to how the runs scored. Even though the runs that gave the other team the win were unearned, the pitcher that allowed the runners on base is the losing pitcher. LP in this case appears to be the first relief pitcher.

[monarchstats]

As a result of more restrictive pitching limits in VA our high school coaches are using multiple pitchers and determking the winning pitcher is a challenge.
Yesterday, the visiting team took an early 2 - 0 lead in the top of the first inning. We scored 9 runs in the bottom of the first eventually winning 13 - 2 in 5 innings.
Our coach used 5 pitchers each going one inning.
Who gets the win? Coach indicated he would say the starting pitcher.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.

[mprusak]

I don't think there are hard rules at this level. Decisions just have to be made using common sense and judgement.

In this case, I would say clearly the starter is the right call.

[PetroGuy]

I don't know about VA high schools in particular, but the NFHS rules show a starting pitcher has to go for at least 4 innings to get the win in a full 7 inning game. If the game is less than 7, then the starter has to go 3 innings. If this is not met, then the most effective reliever gets the win. The rules for this are similar to MLB.

[mprusak]

Oh, didnt realize this was HS...I missed that. Yeah at HS level there are probably rules, I just dont know them.

Kind of weird though that the starter would be automatically excluded by rule, even though he could technically be the most effective of all the pitchers that each pitched 1 inning (and was pitcher of record when leaving the game with lead).

[PetroGuy]

I've always thought that is odd too for starting pitchers. It is the same as MLB (just with different inning requirements). A starter can be more effective than anyone else that pitches and still not get the W if they don't pitch the minimum.