Thursday, October 03, 2024

Diaz is the closer.

We know Maton wasn't going to pitch the ninth.

Therefore, Maton wasn't going to get a save.

Therefore, Maton didn't blow a non-existent save.

I know I'm the only person on the planet consistently bugged by the misunderstanding of this particular stat, but it's easy to solve. Anything before the ninth inning is a blown hold.

It really is OK for the official scorer to make a judgment call.

A journeyman middle reliever in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and a one-run lead is not expected to close out the next four innings. If he keeps the game close and merely allows a sac fly, he gets a blown save.

The save stat is silly and arbitrary in its own right.

The blown save stat is not accurate in any way.

Maybe 1/4th of blown saves are actually blown saves -- a game you legitimately expected to win, where your lead in runs exceeded the number of innings remaining, and your closer was pitching.

Also, if people are going to assume that your team lost a game in which you blew the save, then just adjust the stat likewise. Nobody gets a blown save if your team wins the game. Or maybe have a team stat that accounts for this.

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