What Is A Save Situation In Baseball?

A “save situation” in baseball occurs when the game is on the line and the relief pitcher is called in to preserve the lead. Learn more about how to handle these situations and what to expect from your team.

Introduction

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. 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. The statistic was created by journalist Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers, and has become standardized since then.

The rule for awarding saves has changed several times throughout baseball history. Currently, the criteria for a save are as follows:
-The pitcher is the final player on the team to pitch in the game.
-He is not the winning pitcher (i.e., he does not receive credit for the victory).
-He is credited with preserving his team’s lead in the game.
-He finishes the game by pitching at least three innings, or two innings if he enters the game before the seventh inning.
-The opposing team does not score more runs than it had when he entered the game, regardless of whether his team scores or not.
-He does not allow any inherited runners to score (runners who were on base when he came into the game).
– He records at least one strikeout during his appearance in the game.”

What is a Save?

In baseball, a relief pitcher earns a save when he finishes a game for his team while preserving a lead. A pitcher can earn a save by entering the game in a close situation, typically with his team leading by three or fewer runs, and finishing the game without giving up the lead.

Definition of a Save

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is leading by three or fewer runs and finishing the game by pitching one inning without losing the lead. The number of saves or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted are oft-cited statistics of relief pitchers, particularly those in the closer role. The rule awarding a save was first adopted by Major League Baseball in 1969.

There are two basic situations which qualify a pitcher for a save: (1) he must be the finishing pitcher in a game won by his club; and (2) he is not the winning pitcher, and he satisfies one of five conditions enumerated below.

1. He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches at least one inning;
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;
4. He pitches effectively for at least two innings and is not replaced until after he has recorded at least six outs OR when his turn to bat comes up for  the second time;
OR
5. He pitches effectively for at least one inning, even if he doesn’t finish that inning, unless he issues a bases-loaded walk or hits a batter with the bases loaded..”

Examples of a Save

In baseball, a save is awarded to a pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving a lead. A pitcher can earn a save by entering the game in a save situation and then finishing the game without giving up the lead.

For example, let’s say the Yankees are leading the Red Sox 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Yankees’ closer comes into the game to try and earn a save. He gets the first two batters out relatively easily. However, the third batter hits a deep fly ball to left field that looks like it might be a home run. Fortunately, the left fielder is able to catch the ball at the warning track to preserve the lead. The closer then gets the final out of the inning and is awarded with a save.

There are also situations where a pitcher can come into the game and pitch more than one inning in relief and still be eligible for a save. For example, let’s say the same Yankees-Red Sox game from above is now tied 5-5 in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Yankees brought in their closer to try and get some quick outs so that they could have a chance to win in the top of the 11th inning. However, things didn’t quite go as planned as he gave up two runs in his one inning of work. The good news for him is that his team was able to come back and tie things up again in the top of 11th. Because he finished pitching while his team was still leading, he was credited with blowing his save but not taking a loss, and thus was still eligible for a save if his team won the game later on. And that’s exactly what happened, as they went on to win it in 13 innings.

While examples like these are certainly dramatic, it should be noted that not all saves are as exciting. In fact, many times pitchers will come into games with very little fanfare and simply get three routine outs while preserving their team’s lead. While this may not seem as exciting as some of other examples given, it’s important to remember that any time a pitcher comes into preserve his team’s lead and succeed, he should be commended for doing his job well.

When is a Save Used?

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly, a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team enjoys a lead of three runs or fewer, and finishing the game by pitching to the final batter.

The Save Rule

In baseball, the save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, who enters the game in a close situation, with the tying run either on base, at bat or on deck. A pitcher earns a save by getting three outs before the opposing team scores.

The official scorer awards a save to a pitcher when he meets all four of the following conditions:
-He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
-He is not the winning pitcher;
-He is credited with at least 1/3 of an inning pitched; and
– He satisfies one of the following conditions:
— He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning;
— He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat, or on deck (that is, the potential tying run is either already on base or is one batter away from coming to bat); or
— He pitches effectively for at least three innings.

The Save Statistic

The save is a baseball statistic credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves is a measure of the pitcher’s effectiveness in finishing games. A pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is leading by three or fewer runs and finishing the game without allowing the tying run to score. A pitcher can also earn a save by entering the game with his team losing, no one on base, and at least the tying run on deck, and pitching at least one inning without giving up the lead.

Conclusion

A save situation in baseball is when the game is on the line and the winning run is either on base or at bat, and the losing run is at least one base away. The pitcher who enters the game in this situation is responsible for finishing the game and preserving the lead. This can be a very stressful situation for pitchers, as one bad pitch can cost their team the game.