MLB history: The 10 greatest games in the career of Vida Blue

Vida Blue, who died Sunday at age 73, had a solid 17-season career with the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. He won 209 games against just 161 defeats and had a career 3.27 ERA. A pitcher turning in a similar resume today would be a likely Hall of Famer.

Blue was a stalwart for Oakland’s three consecutive World Series winners of 1972-74. He won 24 games with a 1.82 ERA as a rookie in 1971, and went 20-9  in leading the A’s to the 1973 championship.

He pitched more than 3,000 innings in his career, reaching 312 innings in 1971 when he completed 24 of his 39 starts.

In honor of Vida Blue, this is a look at the 10 greatest pitching performances of his remarkable career.

A note of interest at the outset: Eight of the 10 games on this list were decided by a score of 1-0. Vida Blue could perform under pressure.

Our standard of measurement is Win Probability Added. That calculates the individual’s role in influencing the game’s outcome. For that reason, it emphasizes late-inning game-turning accomplishments. It judges the player’s contribution within the broader context of winning the game.

Here are the 10 greatest games pitched by Vida Blue.

10. Aug. 3, 1973, Athletics 2, Angels 1. Matched against California’s Bill Singer, Blue held the Angels to one run and five hits through 10.2 innings of this game at Angels Stadium. After Bert Campaneris doubled home Mike Hegan with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th, Blue retired the first two batters he faced before Frank Robinson drew a walk. Rollie Fingers was summoned to get the final out. Win Probability Added: 0.641.

9. Aug. 26, 1986, Giants 1, Expos 0. Blue was 37 and in his final season, although still good enough to post a 3.09 ERA for the Giants. At Candlestick Park, he battled three Expos pitchers through nine scoreless innings, the only hit off him a fourth-inning Andre Dawson single. Giants manager Roger Craig lifted Blue after the bottom of the ninth and called on Scott Garrelts, who finally got the win in the 12th. Win Probability Added: 0.644.

8. May 17, 1977, Yankees 5, Athletics 2. The Yanks led 2-0 until Oakland scored twice off Ron Guidry in the ninth. Guidry was lifted, but Blue stayed on and retired the Yanks without damage in the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th. That’s when A’s manager Jack McKeon finally decided Blue had given enough, lifting him for Dave Giusti, who took the loss in the 15th. Win Probability Added: 0.654.

7. Aug. 29, 1980, Giants 1, Mets 0. Blue allowed the Mets just four hits and struck out six. Finally in the bottom of the eighth, his teammates broke through against Mets starter Pat Zachry, Terry Whitfield singling home Bill North with the game’s only run. Blue worked around a Lee Mazzilli ninth-inning base hit to seal the shutout win. Win Probability Added: 0.662.

6. July 27, 1976. Athletics 1, White Sox 0. This game pitted Blue against young White Sox flamethrower Rich Gossage, not yet transferred to the bullpen. Blue was constantly in trouble, allowing 10 hits. But he stranded seven runners and was aided by two double plays and a caught stealing. The A’s gave Blue the only run he needed on a seventh-inning Ken McMullen single scoring Claudell Washington, who had doubled. Win Probability Added: 0.664.

5. April 26, 1971, Athletics 1, Orioles 0. Three of Blue’s five best games came during this, his first and best season. Blue shut out the defending world champion Orioles on four hits and struck out nine. This time the game’s only run came on a sixth-inning Reggie Jackson single that scored Bert  Campaneris, who had beaten out a bunt. Win Probability Added: 0.674.

4. Aug. 7, 1971, Athletics 1, White Sox 0. Seeking the 20th victory of his rookie season at the Oakland Coliseum, Blue held the White to five hits and struck out six. The game’s only run scored on a fifth-inning Joel Horlen balk with Dick Green at third base. Win Probability Added: 0.680.

3. July 30, 1978, Giants 1, Cubs 0. In the second game of a doubleheader at Candlestick Park, Blue allowed six hits and pitched a complete game shutout. He was bailed out in the seventh when Rodney Scott lined into a double play, and again in the eighth when Ivan DeJesus doubled and was caught attempting to steal third. Win Probability Added: 0.688.

2. Oct. 8, 1974, Game 3, ALCS, Athletics 1, Orioles 0. Blue faced off against Jim Palmer with the series lead at stake. Sal Bando touched Palmer for a fourth-inning home run, and Blue took it from there. He struck out seven, walked none, allowed just two hits and wrapped up the shutout by retiring Bobby Grich on an infield grounder. The A’s won the series the following day. Win Probability Added: 0.780.

1. July 9, 1971, Athletics 1, Angels 0. Through nine innings, neither Blue nor his opposing number, Rudy May, gave ground. Blue struck out a dozen and allowed just seven hits. He added five more strikeouts, running his total to 17, in the 10th and 11th innings before Dick Williams pulled the plug on his young star. Finally in the 20th inning of this five-hour, five-minute marathon, Angel Mangual singled home Curt Blefary with the game’s first and only run. Win Probability Added: 0.872.