StaTuesday: Top-rated games started in Brewers history
If you ask anyone what was the best start in Milwaukee Brewers history, no doubt Juan Nieves' no-hitter in 1987 would be the answer. After all, that is the only no-hitter in Milwaukee annals.
Chase Anderson nearly laid claim to that honor, pitching seven no-hit innings against the Chicago Cubs on May 15 before allowing a leadoff double to Ben Zobrist.
Even with giving up that hit, Anderson had one of the best starts in Brewers history. In fact, he was one out away from securing a top-five spot... and then unfortunately he gave up back-to-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning.
However, if Anderson didn't serve up those homers and was able to get that third out in the last inning without allowing another baserunner, he would have had a 91 using Bill James' Game Score, which would have tied him for the sixth-best start in Brewers history (and fifth-best complete game). Alas, Anderson finished with a 75 Game Score.
Going back to our original question, Nieves does not have the best start in Brewers history -- at least using Game Score, which uses the following formula:
Begin with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded (i.e. 3 points for every complete inning pitched). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk.
Nieves had seven strikeouts but allowed five walks in his no-hitter, which knocked his Game Score to an 89. The highest game score in Brewers history was done by three pitchers -- but only one went nine innings, the others had to go extras.
Here's the complete list of every Brewers pitcher who had a Game Score of 89 or better:
* -- Did not pitch complete game
The best Game Scores of all time occurred in the same game. On May 1, 1920, Boston's Joe Oeschger and Brooklyn's Leon Cadore each pitched all 26 innings of a 1-1 tie. Oeshger's Game Score (9 H, 4 BB, 7 K) was 153 while Cadore's Game Score (15 H, 5 BB, 7 K) was 140.
The highest Game Score for a nine-inning performance was by the Chicago Cubs' Kerry Wood, who recorded a 105 on May 6, 1998 when he allowed no runs on one hit with no walks and 20 strikeouts.
A 100 Game Score has only been reached 13 times by a pitcher who did not pitch into extra innings: Wood, Max Scherzer (104 and 100 -- both in 2015), Clayton Kershaw (102), Matt Cain (101), Nolan Ryan (101 and twice with 100), Sandy Koufax (101), Brandon Morrow (100), Randy Johnson (100), Curt Schilling (100) and Warren Spahn (100).
Spahn did it for the Braves when he no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 26, 1960, allowing two walks while striking out 15, thus owning the best nine-inning Game Score in Milwaukee history.
Yes, a Milwaukee pitcher had a higher Game Score than Spahn.
On May 5, 1965, the Braves' Wade Blasingame pitched all 14 innings of a 2-1 win over the Houston Astros, allowing five hits while walking six and striking out 15, which gave him a Game Score of 104. That's a Milwaukee mark which could stand in perpetuity.
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