Robby Ahlstrom benefits from official scoring quirk that validates Rangers premature celebration

Recent call-up Robby Ahlstrom will have a terrific story to tell his grandkids one day when he has them gathered around, talking about his first taste of major league baseball. He has pitched well, but the way in which he earned his first win is unique, to say the least.

It involves a strange scoring snafu that had Ahlstrom and his teammates confused, but only after they had put the rookie left-hander through his first rite of passage. It is one that he will not forget.

Robby Ahlstrom's first MLB win was technically celebrated by the Rangers prematurely

On Thursday, June 11, the Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 to get back to .500 at 34-34 for the first time since May 1.

In that game, Ahlstrom pitched an inning and a third of scoreless baseball in relief of Kumar Rocker, who had only gone 4.2 innings. It was assumed that because Ahlstrom was on the hill through the fifth and sixth innings and the Rangers maintained the lead, he would be awarded his first big-league win. This is typically how a pitcher is awarded a win.

This is where the rule book gets quirky. Because Rocker, as the starting pitcher, failed to complete five innings, he was ineligible for the win. When that happens, the official scorer has the latitude to award the win to the relief pitcher he deems most effective once a team has taken the lead for good.

The Rangers never trailed in this matchup. So the three Texas relievers utilized -- Ahlstrom, Cole Win, and Jacob Latz -- all were technically eligible to receive the win. When deciding who was most "effective," however, it was simply assumed that Ahlstrom would get the nod because he was the only one to enter the game with men on base following a Bobby Witt Jr. single.

Surprisingly, however, the official scorer in Kansas City gave the win to Latz, who came in to pitch the final two innings of the game and mowed through the final six Royals hitters.

The Rangers players didn't know this and gave the rookie Ahlstrom a customary celebratory beer shower to mark his first win. Needless to say, his bullpen mates were a little bummed when they found out that Ahlstrom was given a no-decision.

But on June 15, four days after the fact, the official scoring was changed, and Ahlstrom was awarded his first win, and Latz was credited with his 11th save of the season.

So even though Ahlstrom's beer shower may have seemed a bit premature, it was actually justified and a memorable way for the 26-year-old University of Oregon product to get the first of hopefully several more milestones out of the way.

And Latz won't mind at all, because his bread is buttered by the number of saves he will accumulate rather than wins.

For the season, Ahlstrom has yet to give up an earned run in six innings and has a 0.83 WHIP. He will also have the opportunity to slide right into Jalen Beeks' middle relief role now that Beeks has landed on the 10-day IL with back inflammation.

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