Kindof random: if a closer comes in to pitch the 9th inning with a 2-run lead, gets the first out, then it starts raining and the game is called ... does that count as a save?

no because the game would go back to the 8 full innings that were played.....you don't count the part of an inning. I suppose teh 8th inning pitcher could get the save if the score was in his team's favor by 3 or fewer runs.

Very interesting, you learn something every day ... thanks Ironman.

PS, in your scenario, the 8th inning guy would get the save? For example, let's say Chamberlain pitches the 8th for the Yankees, and Rivera gets one out in the 9th, and rain shortens the game. Chamberlain could possibly get credit for the save even with Rivera recording an out after him? Has this ever happened? I understand that the 9th wouldn't "count" but I wonder if this has ever happened.

I'd say it has....but not even I am looking that up!

That seems like a scoring question rather than a rules question, maybe a scoring rules question! Anyway I have a rules question that came up in my mind after the play in the Reds game last night when Gomes scored from 2nd on an infield hit, the 2nd run on the play.

Say that runners are on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out in the 9th and the defense is ahead by two runs. A grounder goes up the middle to the SS. If the runner beats it out a run will score. He does beat it out, but instead of scoring, the first runner stops a yard short of home for the purpose of being legal interference for the key runner, the tying run. He waits as long as he can to score giving as much time as possible before he pushes across the plate to give the trailing runner as much help as possible, hoping the catcher will block the plate without the ball so he can knock him off of it to help the trailing runner. What are the key things that the first runner has to watch out for to keep from being called for interference to negate getting the game tied up?

You see something similar sometimes with runners on 1st and 2nd and none or one out and a deep fly is hit. The runner on 2nd tags, and the runner on 1st does not, being right behind the tagging runner when the fly is not caught, making it so that they are coming to home virtually one right behind the other.

I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure the one and only thing the lead runner has to be sure of is to not let the trail runner pass him at any point.

Ironman92 wrote: I'd say it has....but not even I am looking that up!

Ironman....I'm gonna play devil's advocate and disagree with you on this scenario. Now I haven't looked it up so you could be right here.

Years ago, there were some major changes made regarding incomplete innings and who would win given different scenarios.

For example, back in the day, if the home team was up 4 to 2 entering the top of the seventh, and the visting team scored 5 times, then the home team would still be declared the winner if the rains washed out the game before the bottom of the seventh was completed. This rule has been changed. The game is now ruled suspended.

With that logic, my guess would be that the relief pitcher retiring the first batter would in fact count...and the batter who made the out would keep his official at bat. And...the relief pitcher would be credited with 1/3 inning pitched and record the save.

but that's not how it is now....anyways.....I don't know the way the rain shortened games were scored and it's rare to start the 9th and not wait around to finish it......so maybe with that seldomness and the older rules it hasn't happened

Ironman92 wrote: no because the game would go back to the 8 full innings that were played.....you don't count the part of an inning. I suppose teh 8th inning pitcher could get the save if the score was in his team's favor by 3 or fewer runs.

That is the correct answer.

Most of the time they try to finish the last inning at a later date if the two teams play again.

However, if for whatever reason the game is never "finished", ironman is right. The game reverts back to the end of the 8th inning as "final".

I thnk in most instances the game, especially if early in a series and not on getaway day and is between division rivals would be declared suspended...

jmog wrote:

Ironman92 wrote: no because the game would go back to the 8 full innings that were played.....you don't count the part of an inning. I suppose teh 8th inning pitcher could get the save if the score was in his team's favor by 3 or fewer runs.

That is the correct answer.

Most of the time they try to finish the last inning at a later date if the two teams play again.

However, if for whatever reason the game is never "finished", ironman is right. The game reverts back to the end of the 8th inning as "final".

I would appreciate a link on this from either you or Ironman. Thanks.

A game is suspended when it is called because of darkness, curfew, or mechanical failure....or if called because of weather and the game is of the minimum regulation innings and during the incomplete inning, the visiting team has taken the lead....or the game is tied.
Further, in a washed out, non suspended game, the game is considered to have ended at the point the game is called.

Hence if the home team is ahead 10-4 after 7 innings, and the Visitors score 4 runs with 2 outs in the top of the inning before the washout comes, the final score is 10-8.

However, if the Visiting team trails 5-4 after 7 innings, then score two in the top of the 8 th to take the lead....then the rains came. The game would be suspended at the point it was stopped.

There is NO revert back to the previous inning any more. Footwedge...you are correct.


I'll try to find a linkl

that wasn't hard...

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/start_end_4.jsp

read rules 4.11 and 4.12.

Thanks Hits. Every once in awhile a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

So in my scenario, would Rivera get the save? And what if he came into the game in the 9th, threw one pitch without recording an out, then the game was suspended -- by rule he does NOT get the save, correct?

BigAppleBuckeye wrote: So in my scenario, would Rivera get the save? And what if he came into the game in the 9th, threw one pitch without recording an out, then the game was suspended -- by rule he does NOT get the save, correct?

Yes...Rivera gets a save if he retires a batter. He's credited with 1/3 inning of work. Now if the nect guy homers, and then the rain comes, Rivera still gets the save and is charged with an earned run. The batter's home run counts in the record books.

As for the ball one scenario...no innings pitched and no save. If the home team had the lead after 7.5, then the pitcher who retired the side in the top of the eighth would get the save.