Consecutive Home Appearances Without a Allowing a Run to Start the Season
Posted by Raphy on July 4, 2011
On the heels of yesterday's meltdown by the Yankees in Citi Field, Mike Axisa in his post on the River Avenue Blues blog highlighted the great discrepancy this year by Mariano Rivera at home and on the road. Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but thing that surprised me most was that Rivera has yet to allow a run at home. How unusual is this? Here are the most consecutive shutout home appearances by a pitcher to start a season.
| Rk | Strk Start | End | Games | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | GF | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | HBP | WP | BK | Tm | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Sherrill | 2007-04-04 | 2007-07-18 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | SEA |
| 2 | Steve Kline | 2004-04-06 | 2004-08-03 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 18.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | STL |
| 3 | Graeme Lloyd | 1998-04-10 | 1998-09-27 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21.2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | NYY |
| 4 | Antonio Alfonseca | 2004-04-06 | 2004-07-15 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23.1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ATL |
| 5 | Jeff Nelson | 2001-04-03 | 2001-07-28 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 19.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | SEA |
| 6 | Hong-Chih Kuo | 2010-04-29 | 2010-08-30 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 23.2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | LAD |
| 7 | Fernando Nieve | 2010-04-05 | 2010-06-24 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17.2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | NYM |
| 8 | Jeff Calhoun | 1987-06-26 | 1987-09-30 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 26.2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 | PHI |
| 9 | Mariano Rivera | 2011-03-31 | 2011-06-29 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 13 | 20.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NYY |
| 10 | Kyle McClellan | 2010-04-14 | 2010-07-21 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 25.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | STL |
| 11 | Brian Sanches | 2009-05-19 | 2009-08-25 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25.1 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 3 | 0 | FLA |
| 12 | John Rocker | 1999-04-05 | 1999-06-27 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 18.2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ATL |
Rivera's streak is certainly up there, but not quite at the top. It should be noted that Jonny Venters started this season with a streak of 17 such games before allowing a run to the Mets on June 16. Also, Scott Downs has an active streak that is currently at 16 games.
Among starters, 18 players since 1919 have not allowed a run in their first 3 home starts of the season; 2 of those 18 went even longer:
| Rk | Strk Start | End | Games | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | GF | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | HBP | WP | BK | Tm | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Herbert | 1963-04-18 | 1963-05-14 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 45.0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CHW |
| 2 | Dave Burba | 1995-08-03 | 1995-08-29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 2 | 0 | CIN |
| 3 | Jaime Garcia | 2010-04-17 | 2010-05-19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | STL |
| 4 | Erik Hanson | 1993-04-09 | 1993-04-28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 | SEA |
| 5 | Pascual Perez | 1991-05-14 | 1991-05-31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NYY |
| 6 | Scott Erickson | 1991-04-26 | 1991-05-12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | MIN |
| 7 | Roger Clemens | 1991-04-13 | 1991-04-23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24.0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | BOS |
| 8 | Mark Gardner | 1990-04-17 | 1990-05-06 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | MON |
| 9 | Craig Swan | 1978-04-10 | 1978-05-12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NYM |
| 10 | Dave Freisleben | 1976-05-24 | 1976-06-08 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | SDP |
| 11 | Dave McNally | 1972-04-17 | 1972-05-10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | BAL |
| 12 | Wilbur Wood | 1972-04-18 | 1972-04-25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CHW |
| 13 | Cisco Carlos | 1967-08-25 | 1967-09-14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 | CHW |
| 14 | Sandy Koufax | 1963-04-19 | 1963-05-11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | LAD |
| 15 | Arnie Portocarrero | 1958-05-11 | 1958-06-03 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | BAL |
| 16 | Jim Wilson | 1954-06-06 | 1954-06-29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | MLN |
| 17 | Tiny Bonham | 1942-04-17 | 1942-05-06 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NYY |
| 18 | Carl Hubbell | 1933-04-20 | 1933-05-07 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NYG |
By May 15, 1963 Ray Herbert had made 7 starts on the season. Five of those starts were shutouts at home, you can see those stats above. The two away from Comiskey did not go as well. Here are his stats from those games:
| Rk | Year | #Matching | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1963 | 2 | Ind. Games | 0 | 1 | .000 | 19.29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4.29 |
Now that's a home-road discrepancy.
July 4th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Herbert got his road performance together after those first two '63 starts. He pitched into the 6th inning or later in all but two of his road starts after those first two. Finished the season with 3 CGs (including a shutout) in his last 4 road starts.
July 4th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
So all of Rivera's blown saves have come on the road this year. Hmm .....
July 4th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Another "Balk Off" game win by White Sox over Royals in Monday July 4th game...
July 5th, 2011 at 8:39 am
This strikes me as one of those things that is posted because you have a cool data-parsing toy, not because the data reveals anything of any value.
July 5th, 2011 at 10:07 am
@4
Lee, I think you are partly right. But this kind of blog is what Andy, Steve and Raphy should be doing ...... showcasing the bells and whistles of the Play Index for potential BBRef subscribers.
I often try to duplicate Andy's searches, eliminating columns until I get a table identical to his in the blog and I learn how to use the PI in the process.
The "trivia" lists like this do have value even they don't reveal some hidden nugget of truth about baseball.
July 5th, 2011 at 10:22 am
I had to check Pascaul Perez after seeing him on Andy's second list with so few IP in three scoreless starts.
It looks he must have been coming back to the rotation off an injury. He made his first home start on My 14th and was pulled after 6 innings with the lead. He started again at home on May 19th, only to go 5.2 innings, with his bullpen baling him out. Must have been on a strict pitch count.
Finally he faced only one batter, walking him, on May 31st before injuring himself and being replaced by Eric Plunk. He gets credit for tht start without recording an out.
Pascual Perez's presence on the second list is an anomaly because he didn't really have three "starts".
July 5th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@ Neil L., I see what you are saying -- I wasn't trying to totally disregard this post and I love to visit this blog most every day because there's always something interesting. (Even if it doesn't hold all the answers to the questions of the universe.)
July 5th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Eppa Rixey, 1921 Reds: 37 consecutive starts without allowing a home run. That was the whole season! (He did allow one homer in his three relief appearances.) I'm guessing that one won't be challenged any time soon.
Since 1950, J.R. Richard has the longest homerless-start streak to open a season, with 15.