In Major League Baseball, a loss (denoted L) is charged to the pitcher of the losing team who allows the run that gives the opposing team the lead which the game is won with (the go-ahead run). If a pitcher allows a run which gives the opposing team the lead but this lead is not held for the remainder of the game, that pitcher does not get the loss. To be the pitcher to have allowed a game's go-ahead run, a pitcher is responsible for the plate appearance which puts the runner on base who scores the run, which is not necessarily the pitcher who is responsible for the plate appearance which causes this runner to score. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In baseball statistics, a player has a plate appearance (denoted by PA) every time he: Has an at bat (AB) Receives a base on balls (BB) Receives a hit by pitch (HBP) Hits a sacrifice fly (SF) Hits a sacrifice bunt (SH) Reaches base because of interference A batter does...

For example, in a tie ball game, if pitcher A walks a batter and then is relieved by pitcher B who then gives up a home run, the first run allowed is recorded to pitcher A and the second to pitcher B. Thus, pitcher A gave up the run that gave the opposing team the lead, and pitcher A will be credited with the loss if the other team does not relinquish the lead, even though pitcher B was on the mound when the go-ahead hit occurred. In baseball, a home run is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run himself (along with a run scored by each runner who was already on base), with no errors by the defensive team on...

The pitchers who receive the win and the loss are known, collectively, as the pitchers of record. In baseball, a pitcher is credited with a win (or W) when, in a game won by his team, he is the teams pitcher at the time that his team takes a lead that it does not relinquish for the remainder of the game. ...