Expert: Martin Hoover - 8/18/2010

Question
Martin,

Lets say a little league game goes 6 innings.  One team is ahead of the other team the whole game.  How many innings does the starting pitcher of the winning team have to pitch in order to be the winning pitcher?  I was thinking 3 innings maybe 4, but was not really sure.  Thanks for your time.

Answer
Sam,

The pitcher must have pitched three complete innings to be listed as the winning pitcher.

There are some exceptions to this rule:

The "must pitch three complete innings" rule in respect to the starting pitcher shall be in effect for all games of five or more innings. In a four-inning game, credit the victory to the relief pitcher judged by the scorer to have been the most effective.

When the starting pitcher cannot be credited with the victory because of the following two provisions, or more than one relief pitcher is used, the victory shall be awarded on the following basis:

When, during the tenure of the starting pitcher, the winning team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game, credit the victory to the relief pitcher judged by the scorer to have been the most effective.

Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the winning and losing pitcher is concerned.

Once the opposing team assumes the lead, all pitchers who have pitched up to that point are excluded from being credited with the victory except that if the pitcher against whose pitching the opposing team gained the lead continues to pitch until that pitcher's team regains the lead, which it holds to the finish of the game, that pitcher shall be the winning pitcher.

Normally, the winning relief pitcher shall be the one who is the pitcher of record when the team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game. EXCEPTION: Do not credit a victory to relief pitcher who pitches briefly or ineffectively if a succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping to maintain the team in the lead. In such case, credit the succeeding relief pitcher with the victory.

I hope this has helped.

-Martin Hoover