▁earned ▁run se ven ▁in ▁a ▁loss . ▁A ▁pitch er ▁can ▁perform ▁well ▁yet ▁not ▁be ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁win - loss ▁" dec ision ". ▁This ▁stat istic ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁sport sw riter ▁John ▁L owe ▁to ▁capture ▁an ▁aspect ▁of ▁pitch er ▁performance ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁statistics ▁collected ▁by ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball . ▁It ▁is ▁catch ing ▁on ▁among ▁baseball ▁players ▁and ▁management , ▁but ▁also ▁has ▁some ▁ske pt ics . ▁Form er ▁Houston ▁Ast ros ▁manager ▁Jim y ▁Williams ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁hate ▁this ▁stat istic . ▁" Qual ity ▁start ?" ▁he ▁would ▁har umph . ▁" Qual ity ▁means ▁you ▁win ." ▁ ▁quick ▁pitch ▁ ▁An ▁illegal ▁pitch ▁where ▁the ▁ball ▁thrown ▁is ▁before ▁the ▁batter ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁batter ' s ▁box . ▁( O fficial ▁R ules ▁of ▁Baseball , ▁Rule ▁ 8 . 0 5 ( e )) ▁If ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁one ▁on ▁base , ▁the ▁pitch ▁is ▁called ▁a ▁ball , ▁but ▁if ▁there ▁are ▁any ▁number ▁of ▁run ners ▁on ▁base , ▁it ▁is ▁ruled ▁a ▁b alk . ▁The ▁r uling ▁of ▁a ▁quick ▁pitch ▁is ▁always ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁u mp ire . ▁ ▁quiet ▁b ats ▁ ▁When ▁a ▁pitch er ▁prevents ▁the ▁oppos ing ▁hit ters ▁from ▁getting ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁hits , ▁or ▁big ▁hits , ▁he ' s ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁" qu iet ed ▁some ▁b ats ". ▁" I owa ' s ▁starting ▁pitch er