:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46787910/GettyImages-477943908.0.jpg)
The Tribe loaded the bases a number of times yesterday. A whole lot of times. We are talking about five different innings. And although they did get runs from those many opportunities, four came via a walk and one via a sacrifice fly. Nary a hit to be seen. But they still left the bases loaded four times yesterday. In total, they went 0-7, with 4 walks and a sacrifice fly when the bases were loaded.
Stranding 18 runners in a baseball game is no easy feat. During the past 25 years, it had happened just three times to the Indians before yesterday:
- The first in that time span occurred back in 1992 when the Tribe lost to the Red Sox 7-5 in 19 innings at Cleveland Stadium. They went a woeful 3-21 with RISP that day and left 18 on.
- The juggernaut 1995 squad left an incredible 23 runners on base in a 10-9 victory over the Twins that took 17 innings at the Jake. They at least went 8-26 with RISP in that game, which isn't bad.
- The last time the Tribe stranded so many was in a 7-6 loss at home in 2012 to the Royals. They left 20 guys on in 14 innings and were 3-21 with RISP.
So yesterday's game, when they left 18 on in just 11 innings, is in some rarified air for futility. The other games I mentioned went 19, 17, and 14 innings, whereas yesterday was just 11 frames, which means yesterday's games had more LOB per inning than any of the other three.
Is this team on pace for a historic season of LOB?
|
Year |
LOB |
LOB/Game |
LOB>9 |
LOB>15 |
|
2000 |
1260 |
7.78 |
44 |
3 |
|
1999 |
1234 |
7.62 |
37 |
1 |
|
1996 |
1224 |
7.60 |
34 |
3 |
|
2007 |
1215 |
7.50 |
32 |
1 |
|
2009 |
1198 |
7.40 |
32 |
1 |
|
2004 |
1197 |
7.39 |
34 |
0 |
|
2015 |
670 |
7.36 |
20 |
2 |
|
2015# |
1193 |
7.36 |
36 |
4 |
|
# 2015 extrapolated to 162 games |
||||
As the data currently sits, they are averaging 7.36 LOB/game. That isn't quite the highest in the past 25 years, but it is the team's highest rate this decade, a decade which has seen offense drop off. They are on pace to finish with the third-most games of 10+ LOB and the most games with 15+ LOB during the last quarter century.
I doubt they will challenge the 2000 number of men on base, because this year's team has too many games of being shut down by the opposing starter. But I definitely think they could approach any of the other figures on the list fairly easily over the rest of this season.