Allow 5 or more runs

Last month, I was listening to a radio show and someone was calling in. The guy on the phone would like to ask the host a question to know whether his favorite team had been very stable during the regular season. He raised a point that maybe a stable team doesn’t frequently allow 5 or more runs in a game during the regular season. Well, that was a very interesting question and I never thought of that. Hence, I went to check on the baseball reference website and try to find the answer. During the regular season, the Dodgers pitching staff were excellent, posting a 3.01 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, both were the best among 30 teams. Additionally, opponents only hit .207 against the Dodgers pitchers. Moreover, there were only 51 games in which the Dodgers allowed at least 5 runs in the regular season. The Dodgers won 106 games in 2021 and it’s not a surprise. Also in the NL West, the Giants won 107 games, leading the majors. In 2021, the Giants pitchers owned a 3.24 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP, both were second best among 30 teams. Opponents batted .230 against the Giants pitching staff. Indeed, the Giants pitchers were also excellent this year. Additionally, there were only 53 games in which the Giants allowed 5 or more runs. Another 100-win team just showed us that they usually let opponents score fewer than 5 runs. In addition, the Tampa Bay Rays are the other team to win 100 games in the 2021 season. The Rays pitching staff had a 3.67 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP during the regular season, both were the best in the AL. It’s definitely not an easy season for the Rays as we have to remember that Tyler Glasnow only made 14 starts for the Rays and he hasn’t pitched since mid-June. Furthermore, the Rays only allowed opponents to score at least 5 runs in a game 55 times this year. Meanwhile, the New York Mets did the same as the Rays. There were 55 games in which the New York Mets let opponents score 5 or more runs. However, why did the Mets still have a frustrating 2021 season? Well, the Mets only scored 5 or more runs in 54 games this year. Moreover, they scored at least 4 runs in a game 81 times this season. The Mets scored 636 runs, 4th fewest among 30 MLB teams. Hence, the Mets’ offense didn’t contribute enough and they will definitely need to solve this problem if they would like to be a playoff contender. Finally, the Brewers allowed 5 or more runs in a game 58 times in the 2021 season and they clinched the NL Central. However, some teams just can’t stop opponents from scoring. The Diamondbacks and the Orioles each lost 110 games in 2021. Furthermore, these two teams each had an over 5 ERA and an over 1.40 WHIP this season. There are more than 90 games that each team allowed at least 5 runs this year. And, how about the World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves? The Braves only allowed opponents to score 5 or more runs in a game 60 times in the 2021 season.  To win in baseball, a team must reach the end of the game with more runs than its opponent. A good way to win the game is to control the damage and let opponents score fewer runs. As we can see, if a team can let opponents score fewer than 5 runs in a game consistently in a single season, they should be able to be a playoff contender.