Why MLB's 3-inning save rule is trending after Yankees-Brewers game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Not all MLB saves are created equal.
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Most are pretty standard for relief pitchers who enter with a lead of three runs or fewer and close out the ninth inning. But there are exceptions.
One of those showed up in the Friday night matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees.
The Brewers won 6-0, so it didn't seem like a game on paper that would end in a save.
But Shane Drohan pitched the final three innings for Milwaukee and was credited with the save.
It confused some people on social media:
Can someone explain how there could possibly be a save situation in this game? pic.twitter.com/8VbxqwtUfn
— Isaac (@iTalkStudiosYT) May 9, 2026
The thing is, that's just the rule.
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Why is it a save in baseball for 3 innings?
When they created the save rule, it was deemed that closing out at least three innings with the lead, no matter how big the lead, would qualify as a save.
In those days, relief pitchers often went much longer than one inning, and so it was a way of giving those guys a stat, too.
These days, it's quite rare, but not impossible.
There's actually been a save in a 30-3 MLB game before. It's just about pitching those last three innings with the lead (and not already being the pitcher who's earning the win).
Drohan's save Friday night was the first of his career. You won't find him complaining about the rule.