There are a couple of ways to get a save in a major league baseball game. The most common way is to close out a game where the margin of victory is three runs or fewer. Another way, however, is to pitch three innings to end a game regardless of the score. That’s what Caleb Ferguson did for the Dodgers last night.
Ferguson came in for the seventh, eighth and ninth innings and pitched admirably, shutting out the Pirates on three hits and didn’t walk a batter. Of course, he came in to the game when the Dodgers led 17-1, so you might say that the save was less than rigorous. His teammate, Alex Wood, who got the win for L.A. certainly thought so, shaking his head and saying “a 16-run save . . .” afterwards, amused but unimpressed. For his part, Ferguson didn’t even realize he was in line for a save until someone told him.
This happens a couple of times a year and it’s always fun when it does. Though I suppose “fun” is a relative concept. Cut me some slack, I don’t have much of a life, OK?
