On Thursday, 5 games were decided by one run. Last season, AL pennant winner the Tampa Bay Rays won 14 1-run games, while only losing 5. In the meantime, the Red Sox only won 4 1-run games last season. So far in this season, which team is good at winning games at a slimmest margin?
The Mariners won 7 1-run games in the 2020 season and they already won 10 times in 1-run games by far this year. In addition, the Oakland A’s have won 11 1-run games and they lost 6. But, as we can see, playing well in 1-run games doesn’t guarantee to be a divisional leader. The Boston Red Sox only won 4 1-run games while losing 9 times last year. However, they are a different team this year. The Red Sox already won 1-run games 9 times. Last season, the Yankees’ record in 1-run games was 6-7. This season, they have already won 7 times. Additionally, the Pirates won 18 games so far and 6 wins were coming from 1-run games. Losing 1-run games is not fun. But, some teams have seen this happen several times and they would like to turn things around.
Last season, the Arizona Diamondbacks were doing ok in 1-run games, winning 9 times and losing 9 times. But, in this season, 1-run games have become the Diamondbacks’ nightmare. They already lost 11 times in 1-run games, while winning only once. The Marlins lost 8 1-run games last year, but they won 11 times. That might be a possible reason to tell us why the Marlins were able to clinch a berth in the postseason in 2020. However, the Marlins already lost 10 times in 1-run games, but they only won 4 times. The defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers are currently 2nd in the NL West, if they could do a little bit better in 1-run games, things would be different. The Dodgers already lost 11 times in 1-run games. Moreover, the Twins and the Rockies each lost 9 1-run games. The Orioles, the Rangers and the Astros would like to see better results in 1-run games. There are many factors to win a 1-run game. Sometimes, you might need a clutch hitter who can take the opportunity to make an instant impact. Sometimes, a solid bullpen can help a team secure a win. Sometimes, you are probably lucky because other teams couldn’t make a great play. The Diamondbacks pitching staff post a 6.08 ERA in the 7th inning or later, which is the worst in the majors. That performance would be extremely hard for a team to win. In addition, opponents hit .305 against the D-backs in the 7th inning or later, that doesn’t look good, either. The Oakland A’s have an ERA of 4.10 in the 7th inning or later, which doesn’t look very good. However, they have blasted 23 home runs in the 7th inning or later, 3rd most in the majors. Moreover, the A’s batters have 80 walks in the 7th inning or later, 2nd most in the majors. Home runs and walks do help the A’s in the late innings and possibly secure more 1-run wins.
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