Wait, what?!
Emilio Pagán didn’t get a save after powering through that scoreless ninth inning to preserve a one-run winFriday night?
“Not a save,” the Cincinnati Reds closer mused. “After the game I saw that it had me listed as the winning pitcher. I was very confused.
“I knew that there were times where the official scorer had discretion,” he said, “but I didn’t think if a guy came in and threw in a one-run game in the ninth they would credit that guy with a win and not a save.”
In fact, that scoring discretion rarely is used to deny a win to the so-called
pitcher of record when his team takes the lead. But in this case, setup man Pierce Johnson was ruled to have been ineffective enough in his five-batter outing to go to Plan B for awarding the win, which was the right decision.
Johnson took over with the Reds leading the Pirates 5-4 with two on and one out. After striking out pinch-hitter Jared Triolo, Johnson allowed three consecutive run scoring singles before getting the final out.
The Reds responded with three in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead, 8-7, before the ball was handed to the next pitcher Pagán, who retired three of the four he faced to end it (hitting a batter with two out).
“I think it should be a save,” Pagán said. “I think Pierce should get the win. That’s where I’m at.”
He’s also may be a little biased.
“I think every reliever would tell you if we’re getting wins, normally it means we didn’t do our job,” he said. “Wins are always better than losses – like in a one-run game you give up one but you keep it there and give you’re offense a chance, that’s better than a loss.
“But if you could pick, I think most relievers would choose a save over a win.”
Especially when he nailed down the ninth against one of the better lineups in the league, he said.
Instead, his win-loss mark improves to 4-1 (one win short of tying his career high), and his career saves mark holds at 76 because of the scoring rarity.
“That’s the first time I remember seeing it in a long time,” Pagán said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why 'confused' Emilio Pagán didn't get save for scoreless 9th in 8-7 win
