Every once in a while MLB will go back and make changes to scoring to decisions, and nobody benefited more from one made Thursday than Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Evans.
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How much did Evans benefit? His ERA lowered by a full six runs – on an off day, nonetheless.
In the bottom of the third inning against the Texas Rangers on May 4, Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford hit a hard grounder to third base that bounced high off heel of Ben Williamson’s glove and loaded the bases with one out in a game the Mariners led 1-0. If Williamson had fielded the ball cleanly, he would have at least been able to step on third base for the second out, and potentially could have turned a double play.
However, Langford was originally credited with a hit on the play. The scoring correction made Thursday (11 days after the game) changed it to an error on Williamson. The decision gave Williamson his second error of the season and dropped Langford’s batting average from .262 to .254, but nobody was impacted as much as Evans (whose ERA dropped from 9.60 to 3.60) because of what transpired after the play.
Evans gave up a two-run single to Corey Seager in the next at-bat, which scored the runner Williamson could have gotten out at third. After Seager, Joc Pederson lined out to shortstop for what would have been the third out if Williamson made the play, but instead the Rangers proceeded to score four more runs with two outs.
Evans’ final pitching line now reads as six runs (one earned) and 10 hits surrendered over five innings. The start on May 4 was just the second of his big league career.
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