A quick refresher course for people who still count pitcher wins.
Yesterday, Chris Carpenter wobbled through five innings against the Brewers, surrendering seven runs on three jacks. He was awarded no decision, as his Cardinals tallied five runs in the last three innings before succumbing in the ninth.
Justin Verlander got yanked after five innings and one batter, behind 6-1 to Cleveland. Because Tiger bats thereafter exploded for nine runs, he was off the hook.
Tom Gorzelanny of the Cubs also recorded no decision for his 6.3 innings of work. Unlike Carpenter and Verlander, he gave up only one unearned run on four hits and struck out seven.
The Orioles’ Kevin Millwood would have appreciated a no-decision. He absorbed the loss against Toronto despite yielding just one earned run in 7.7 innings, walking no one and fanning six.
The same for Roy Oswalt, whose six-inning, two-run, eight-strikeout performance was overshadowed by the opposing pitcher – Roy Halladay’s – complete game gem. Count that loss against Oswalt’s career stats.
Trevor Hoffman got a win, though, for his brilliant inning of work holding St. Louis to three runs -– including two long balls -- before his Milwaukee teammates bailed him out in the bottom of the frame.
In summary, when we determine this year’s Cy Young candidates, win counters will credit Hoffman for his performance, debit Oswalt’s and Milwood’s accounts and wonder why, if Tom Gorzelanny is such a good pitcher, he hasn’t won any games.
The correct answer, of course, to those baseball writers who still pose those kinds of questions is, “you’re an idiot.”
b
No comments:
Post a Comment