When ERAs Lie

If relief pitchers come in with men on base and let those runners score, it doesn’t get charged to their earned-run average, even though they failed to do their job. The best and worst this season at stranding inherited runners:

BEST

Ricardo Rincon, Cleveland: 2 of 26 runners have scored (7.7%)

Jerry Dipoto, Colorado: 2 of 20 (10%)

Russ Springer, Atlanta: 3 of 23 (13%)

Steve Kline, Montreal: 6 of 45 (13.3%)

Dennis Cook, New York Mets: 8 of 44 (18.2%)

Dan Plesac, Arizona: 4 of 22 (18.2%)

Trever Miller, Houston: 5 of 27 (18.5%)

*

WORST

Rick White, Tampa Bay: 25 of 45 (55.6%)

Tim Worrell, Oakland: 15 of 27 (55.6%)

Chuck McElroy, New York Mets: 13 of 24 (54.2%)

Tom Davey, Seattle: 14 of 26 (53.8%)

Mike Magnante, Angels: 16 of 30 (53.3%)

Researched by HOUSTON MITCHELL / Los Angeles Times