# Who gets the win?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [September 22, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753 "2018-09-22T22:42:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/1 "2018-09-22T22:42:55Z")

</div>

Pitcher A leaves the game after five innings, his team (home team) up 2-0.

Pitcher B comes in to pitch the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth his team scores another 3 runs to go up 5-0.

In the top of the seventh, pitcher B gives up 3 runs. Home team still up, 5-3.

Game ends 5-3. Who gets the win, Pitcher A or Pitcher B?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/2 "2018-09-23T02:19:23Z")

</div>

Pitcher A. Five innings is enough for a starter to get the win if he leaves with the lead and the team never loses it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/3 "2018-09-23T03:52:06Z")

</div>

As long as the team never gives up the lead, the final score doesn’t matter. If Pitcher A left with the lead and the other team never ties it up or goes ahead, Pitcher A gets the win.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/4 "2018-09-23T03:54:40Z")

</div>

> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#):
>
> Pitcher A. Five innings is enough for a starter to get the win if he leaves with the lead and the team never loses it.

This is the key bit – what matters is if the team ever relinquishes the lead, not who the pitcher of record was when the team scores the run that proves to be the eventual margin of victory.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/5 "2018-09-23T14:03:48Z")

</div>

Thanks everyone.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-win/821753/6 "2018-09-23T16:22:56Z")

</div>

We did a whole thread on this not too long ago here.

[https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=859728](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=859728)