VIN MAZZARO MADE major league history.
It cost him his spot in the big leagues.
The Royals reliever gave up 14 runs and got just seven outs against the Cleveland Indians, who beat Kansas city 19-1 Monday night. He was sent down to the minors after the game.
No pitcher has allowed 14 runs in fewer innings than Mazzaro, according to STATS LLC, whose database goes back to 1919.
“It’s tough. It was a tough game,” said Mazzaro, whose ERA is now 22.74. “Some of the plays didn’t go my way. It’s a funny game.”
Only a handful of relief outings have gone worse. They all were longer, or included unearned runs.
The well-rested Indians pounded out 20 hits and walked eight times. Starter Kyle Davies didn’t make it out of the first and Mazzaro had to come on after 1 2/3 innings from Nate Adcock.
Mazzaro hung in there until the fourth inning, when he gave up 10 runs.
After the brutal fourth inning, the right-hander allowed four more in the fifth before he was removed.
The 25-year-old Mazzaro erased the Royals’ record of 11 runs allowed in a game, which had been done three times.
According to STATS LLC, the last pitcher to give up 10 runs in an inning was Texas’ Scott Feldman against the Red Sox on Aug. 12, 2008, although not all the runs were earned. Before Mazzaro, the only pitchers since 1947 to get clobbered for 14 runs were Milwaukee’s Bill Travers in 1977, and Oakland’s Mike Oquist in 1998 against the Yankees.But those were starters.
No reliever had given up 14 runs in the major leagues since 1942, when Lester McCrabb did it for the Philadelphia Athletics, STATS said.
Their research also showed that three relievers have given up 16 runs in a single appearance. Lefty O’Doul gave up 16 runs in a 1923 game with the Boston Red Sox, though only three runs were earned.
Johnny Stuart of the Cardinals gave up 16 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1925, but it took him 8 1-3 innings to do it. Dutch Schesler took eight innings in his 16-run appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1931.
Mazzaro’s name now joins theirs in major league history. Mazzaro, meanwhile, will join the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers.
“It’s kind of a tough call,” he said. “You’ve just go to keep battling. Things will work out.”
– AP
