A reliever can enter with two runners aboard, allow a hit that scores both, and leave without adding an earned run to his own ERA. That accounting is one reason a useful bullpen review should begin at entry, not only at the final pitching line.
Record the assignment first
Write down the occupied bases, number of outs, score and hitter due up. A runner on third with nobody out presents a different problem from a runner on first with two outs. Counting each as one inherited runner hides that difference.
Then note what the reliever can reasonably try to accomplish. Preventing every run, limiting a larger inning and preserving a specific lead can require different choices. Avoid grading the appearance against a goal that existed only after the result.
Use the rate with its denominator
Inherited-run percentage divides inherited runners who score by runners inherited. Three scored out of ten means 30%.
That arithmetic does not make ten opportunities a stable estimate of future performance. A single bases-loaded appearance can change the rate sharply. Keep the count beside the percentage, and compare similar entry states when possible.
Separate the inherited traffic from new traffic
Suppose a pitcher enters with runners on first and second, walks the next batter and allows a single. The entry situation was difficult, but the walk made it harder. A review that assigns all responsibility to the previous pitcher misses a decision-relevant part of the appearance.
Conversely, a reliever can execute well and still allow a runner from third to score on an out. The scoreboard matters, but the batted-ball quality and available alternatives explain more than the binary label “runner scored.”
Build a compact review log
- Entry: bases, outs, score and lineup pocket.
- Process: strike throwing, walks and contact quality.
- Result: inherited runners scored and new runners allowed.
- Context: defense, matchup and recent workload.
ISR analysis: Use inherited-run data to explain a relief role, not to replace ERA with another single-number ranking. The practical question is whether a pitcher’s skills fit the situations he is likely to face. A clean inning and a mid-inning rescue are different jobs.
