# Law 18: Pitching Record (Official Baseball Rules)

Baseball · Law 18: Pitching Record · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/laws/law-18-pitching-record/)

The winning and losing pitcher, the save, complete games and shutouts, earned runs, and how runs and walks are charged when pitchers change.

## 18.181 Wins, Losses and Saves

Who gets the win and the loss, ties as a new game, saves, complete games and shutouts.

### Test 1: The winning pitcher

- The winning pitcher is the one in the game when his team takes the lead it keeps to the end. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1)
- Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new game for deciding the winning pitcher. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.1)
- A starting pitcher must pitch at least the minimum innings given in Appendix A2.2 to claim the win. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.4)
- A reliever needs to pitch at least one complete inning, or be on the mound for a fundamental and crucial out. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.6)
- The scorer does not credit a brief and ineffective reliever; the win goes to the later reliever who pitched effectively. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.8)
- A complete game goes to the pitcher who starts and finishes, pitching every defensive inning without a reliever. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.4.1)
- A shutout is a complete game with no runs allowed; having pitched every out without a run, he must also be the winner. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.4.2)
- The tie makes it a new game, so the win is decided afresh from the moment the team goes ahead again. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.1, 18.2.1.2)
- Every inning, no runs, and the win: that is a shutout. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.4)
- When the opponents tie or go ahead, every pitcher already removed is excluded from the win. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.1.2)

### Test 2: The losing pitcher and the save

- The losing pitcher is the one responsible for the run that gives the opponents the lead they keep to the end. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.2)
- A pitcher is charged with every run scored by runners he left on base, even if they score off a later pitcher. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.2.2)
- To earn a save, the reliever must be the pitcher who finishes the game his team wins. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3.1)
- A pitcher credited with the save cannot be the winning pitcher. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3.2)
- A save needs at least one-third of an inning pitched, plus one of the listed situations. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3.3)
- A reliever who enters, whatever the score, with the possible tying run on base or among the first two batters meets a save condition. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3.4)
- A tie wipes the slate clean for the loss as well as for the win. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.2.1)
- Finishing the win, not being the winner, at least one out, and a lead of three runs or fewer with an inning pitched: a save. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3)
- Runs scored by runners a pitcher left on base are his, so the go-ahead run, and the loss, are his too. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.2, 18.2.2.2)
- He finished the win, was not the winner, and came in with a lead of three or fewer for at least an inning. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.2.3)

## 18.182 Earned Runs and Changing Pitchers

Rebuilding the inning without errors, unearned runs, inherited runners and the count at a change.

### Test 1: Earned runs

- An earned run is one the pitcher is responsible for: it scores with the help of hits, walks, steals, sacrifices, outs and the like. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.1)
- Earned runs are found by reconstructing the inning without the passed balls and errors. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.2)
- When a fielder is charged with an error, the pitcher always gets the benefit of the doubt in deciding earned runs. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.2)
- A run scored by a batter who reached first on a fielding error is not an earned run. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.3.1.1)
- A run scored by a batter awarded first on catcher's interference does not count as earned. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.3.1.3)
- The balk is among the plays that can produce an earned run, along with hits, walks, steals and wild pitches. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.1)
- A run that would not have scored without an advance on an error or passed ball is not earned. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.3.3)
- Without the error the inning would have ended, so neither run is charged as earned. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.2, 18.3.3.1.1)
- A walk, a steal and a hit are all the pitcher's responsibility, so the run is earned. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.1)
- The inning should have ended on that throw; runs that follow such an error with two out are not earned. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.3.3.1.1)

### Test 2: Changing pitchers

- Runs scored by runners on base when the reliever came in are not charged to him. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.1)
- With the batter ahead in the count (2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2), a walk is charged to the previous pitcher. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.1)
- With counts like 1-1, 2-2 or 0-2, the batter and whatever he does are charged to the reliever. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.3)
- Only a walk is charged back to the previous pitcher; a hit or any other result goes to the reliever. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.2)
- A reliever does not get the benefit of earlier out opportunities that were not taken when his earned runs are worked out. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.3)
- Because each reliever is charged only with what he alone caused, a run can be earned for him and unearned for the team. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.3.2)
- A 2-2 count is not in the batter's favour, so the walk is the reliever's. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.3)
- A walk on a count already in the batter's favour goes to the pitcher who built that count. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.1)
- Anything other than a walk, a hit included, belongs to the reliever. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.2.2)
- Both runners were Pitcher 1's: whoever lets them score, the runs stay on his line. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 18.4.1)

Sources: WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2025-2026, Rule 18 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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