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Top 50 Greatest Pitching Performances (Back to Back Starts)

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tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Not a fan of the scoring system this time around. Partial points makes for not so easy math, but I imagine you are scoring it that way so the scores will be similar to that of the hitting performances. IMO it should be 1 point for every out (aka 3 points for every full inning), 1 point for every strikeout, -1 point for every walk, -1 point for every hit, and -2 points for every earned run.

With that said using your scoring system I got 42 points for Pedro Martinez in 1999

9/4-9/10: 17IP 3H 1ER 3BB 32K

...and 41 points in 2000

5/6-5/12: 18IP 8H 1ER 1BB 32K


EDIT: ...and 35 points in 2002

4/19-4/25: 15IP 2H 0ER 1BB 16K


EDIT #2 : ....and 36 points in 2002

7/25-7/30: 16IP, 4H, 0ER, 2BB, 20K

You are correct, in that I tweaked them a little bit to make them similar to the hitting scores so they can be combined into a master. I put everything into my master spreadsheet so I'll verify all the numbers. I'm also capturing the Bill James Games Score for the pitchers. There calculation uses straight outs as you suggested, while this will gives a little extra emphasis to strikeouts. We'll see how the two methods compare at the end.
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Nolan Ryan
7-5-72
9 IP = 18
8 K = 4
4 H = -4
4 BB = -4
0 ER = 0

7-9-72
9 IP = 18
16 K = 8
1 H = -1
1 BB = -1
0 ER = 0

40 by my counting
(38 by Henderson fan...my goof)

There may be other Ryan's out there (as well as Koufax') that beat this.

FYI - Ed Ruelbach (who should be in the HOF) threw back to back complete game shutouts on the same day back in 1907 or 1908.

Amazing couple of games, I'll see if he has any other as good.
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Nolan Ryan
7-5-72
9 IP = 18
8 K = 4
4 H = -4
4 BB = -4
0 ER = 0

7-9-72
9 IP = 18
16 K = 8
1 H = -1
1 BB = -1
0 ER = 0

40 by my counting
(38 by Henderson fan...my goof)

There may be other Ryan's out there (as well as Koufax') that beat this.

FYI - Ed Ruelbach (who should be in the HOF) threw back to back complete game shutouts on the same day back in 1907 or 1908.

I thought this might beat it, when Nolan Ryan followed up his 17k no hitter by taking another no-hitter into the 8th inning of the following game.

Game Score of 37.3 just falls short of the 38 though.

PLAYERFCB SCOREIPHERBBSODATE
Nolan Ryan22.5900417July 15, 1973
Nolan Ryan15.210.132513July 19, 1973
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
I think we could have a list for just Nolan Ryan.

PLAYERFCB SCOREIPHERBBSODATE
Nolan Ryan38.01850524July 5 & 9, 1972
Nolan Ryan37.719.132930July 15 & 19, 1973
Nolan Ryan36.02190720Aug 27 & 31, 1972
Nolan Ryan35.01891020Sept 8 & 14, 1988
Nolan Ryan34.01841824May 15 & 19, 1973
Nolan Ryan33.518401125Sept 29 & Oct 3, 1976
Nolan Ryan31.51643325Apr 20 & 26, 1990
Nolan Ryan31.01841818Aug 3 & 7, 1982
Nolan Ryan30.51660825Apr 8 and 13, 1978
Nolan Ryan26.01523722May 1 & 8, 1991
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Ron Guidry
6/12/78: 9 IP, 0 ER, 11 K, 3 H, 2 BB
6/17/78: 9 IP, 0 ER, 18 K, 4 H, 2 BB

I calculate 39.5. Best Season Ever.

Yep, amazing back to back games. That puts him in a tie with Kerry Wood.
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Not a fan of the scoring system this time around. Partial points makes for not so easy math, but I imagine you are scoring it that way so the scores will be similar to that of the hitting performances. IMO it should be 1 point for every out (aka 3 points for every full inning), 1 point for every strikeout, -1 point for every walk, -1 point for every hit, and -2 points for every earned run.

With that said using your scoring system I got 42 points for Pedro Martinez in 1999

9/4-9/10: 17IP 3H 1ER 3BB 32K

...and 41 points in 2000

5/6-5/12: 18IP 8H 1ER 1BB 32K


EDIT: ...and 35 points in 2002

4/19-4/25: 15IP 2H 0ER 1BB 16K


EDIT #2 : ....and 36 points in 2002

7/25-7/30: 16IP, 4H, 0ER, 2BB, 20K

Whoa, we have anew leader.
 
Last edited:

gracecollector

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
6,559
215
Lake in the Hills, IL
Mike Cuellar, Baltimore Orioles, back to back complete game shutouts in 1974 (Sep.2, Sep.6)

Game 1: 9 INN (27 Outs), 2 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 4K
Game 2: 9 INN (27 Outs), 5 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 7K

37 Points on your system
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
I'll give a homer pick here, from a couple games in the middle of Brandon Webb's 42 inning scoreless streak back in 2007.

Game 1: 9 IP (27 outs), 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K = 18-2-1+3 = 18 points
Game 2: 9 IP (27 outs), 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K = 18-5-1+5 = 17 points
TOTAL: 35 Points

Nothing wrong with those games, don't see those very often.
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Bob Gibson had three separate occasions in 1968 where he out up scores of 35 or greater.

PLAYERFCB SCOREIPOUTSHERBBSODATE
Bob Gibson35.5185490119June 15 & 20, 1968
Bob Gibson35.02369102618May 1 & 6, 1968
Bob Gibson35.0195780622Aug 28 & Sep 2, 1968
Bob Gibson34.0185440514Aug 31 & Sep 5, 1965
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Steve Carlton with some gems of his own. I'll try and get the first page updated with additions later today.

Steve Carlton40.5185440119Apr 19 & 25, 1972
Steve Carlton36.5185452223Aug 29 & Sep 3, 1982
Steve Carlton35.5185480219Aug 5 & 9, 1972
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
Randy Johnson 38.6 Points In 2001

7/18-7/24: 14.1IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 30K


35 Points In 2001

5/8-5/13: 17IP, 7H, 2ER, 4BB, 32K

30 Ks in 14.1 IP is amazing. They didn't have a Game Score for the first outing since he was picking up for a suspended game and didn't start, but our system can handle it.

PLAYERFCB SCOREIPOUTSHERBBSODATE
Randy Johnson38.714.14320330July 18 & 24, 2001
Randy Johnson37.0175130624June 2 & 8, 1997
Randy Johnson35.0175172432May 5 & 8, 2001
Randy Johnson28.0175193732Aug 8 & 15, 1997
 

tpeichel

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2008
15,639
119
RA Dickey threw back to back 1 hitters 2 seasons ago. He threw them against the Orioles and the rays, dont know how to find the stat lines though.

That's a great one. He is now at the top of the list. Amazing to see him above all of the all-time greats like Nolan Ryan, Carlton, Koufax, Pedro, Bob Gibson, Clemens, Big Unit, etc.
 

scotty216brs

Active member
Apr 15, 2012
3,524
16
MA
30 Ks in 14.1 IP is amazing. They didn't have a Game Score for the first outing since he was picking up for a suspended game and didn't start, but our system can handle it.

PLAYERFCB SCOREIPOUTSHERBBSODATE
Randy Johnson38.714.14320330July 18 & 24, 2001
Randy Johnson37.0175130624June 2 & 8, 1997
Randy Johnson35.0175172432May 5 & 8, 2001
Randy Johnson28.0175193732Aug 8 & 15, 1997
Yeah I wasn't sure if that would count as I did see the game was suspended and resumed the next day....great #'s though. I have only been posting 35+ scores so if 30-34 scores will make the list then Koufax and Pedro have some other 30+ 2 start scores.


Dean Chance 1964 Score of 48.5

6/2-6/6: 23IP 5H 0ER 6BB 27K


Score of 32.5 also in 1964

7/15-7/19: 18IP 9H 0ER 3BB 17K


...and a Score of 31 in 1964

8/14-8/18: 18IP 4H 0ER 9BB 16K



Most underrated pitcher of all time?
 

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