Holds are not an official MLB statistical category: You may find that different statistical services use a different criteria but Yahoo's scoring will match the MLB's official box scores.

A hold occurs when a relief pitcher enters the game in a save situation and maintains his team's lead for the next relief pitcher, while recording at least one out. One of two conditions must be met for a pitcher to record a hold:

• He enters with a lead of three runs or less and maintains that lead while recording at least one out.
• He enters the game with the tying run on-deck, at the plate or on the bases, and records an out.

As a statistic, holds are designed to credit late-relief pitchers who are not closers. For those pitchers, their primary job is to not relinquish the lead, while getting the ball to the next reliever in line. Every save opportunity in which a pitcher records at least one out will result in either a save, a blown save or a hold. A pitcher cannot receive a win or a save in a game in which he records a hold. However, more than one relief pitcher can record a hold in a single game. It is also possible for a pitcher to receive a hold and a loss in the same game should he exit with the lead, only to see the runners he left on base score the tying and go-ahead runs.

A pitcher is charged with a Blown Save when he enters the game in a save situation and leaves the game having given up that lead, regardless of which pitcher is officially charged with the runs that are allowed.

In order for a pitcher to be credited with a "Quality Start" (QS):

• He must be the starter.
• He must allow three or less earned runs.
• He needs to pitch a minimum of 6 innings.

In the event a game goes in to extra innings and the MLB applies the rule of a runner starting at 2nd base:

• The pitcher will not be charged with an earned run if that runner scores.
• The runner will score all points as normal but will not get credit for being put on 2nd base.

According to Rule 10.19 of the Official Baseball Rules a pitcher must meet the following conditions:

• Not the winning pitcher.
• Finishing pitcher in a game won by his club.
• Credited with at least 1/3 of an inning pitched.

And he satisfies one of the following conditions:

• Pitches for at least 3 innings.
• Enters the game with a lead of no more than 3 runs and pitches for at least 1 inning.
• Enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat, or on deck.

Pitchers won’t be credited for offensive stats they may earn. Since players receive scoring only in the categories listed for their respective position, position players who appear as a pitcher won’t receive credit for pitching stats.

• Complete Game - A pitcher is credited with a complete game when he is the only pitcher for his team for the duration of the entire game, including extra innings.
• Shutout Game - A pitcher is credited with a shutout when he pitches a complete game without allowing a run. If 2 or more pitchers combine to pitch a shutout, neither will be credited with a shutout.

The ERA or WHIP for a pitcher will be displayed as INF for the day if he gives up earned runs (or hits and walks for WHIP) while failing to record an out.

• ERA = (Earned Runs / Innings Pitched) * 9
• WHIP = (Walks + Hits) / Innings Pitched

A pitcher's K/BB (strikeout-to-walk) ratio will display as INF for the day if he accumulates strikeouts in a game without issuing a walk. It's not possible to divide a number by 0, so our system reflects the number as INF. The totals recorded by that player are still added to team totals when ERA, WHIP and K/BB are calculated. For example:

• Smith: 0 IP, 3 ER = INF ERA
• Jones: 3 IP, 1 ER = 3.00 ERA
• Total: 3 IP, 4 ER = 12.00 ERA

For a Pickoff to be credited in Fantasy Baseball, the base runner must be put out returning to the base and without making any move toward the next base. If a pitcher throws to a base to pick off a base runner, and the runner breaks for the next base on the play, the pitcher isn't credited with a pickoff on the play if an out is recorded. The play will be officially credited as Caught Stealing.

A pitcher is credited with a win under the following conditions:

• He's pitched at least 5 complete innings and his team in the lead when he is replaced and remains in the lead for the duration of the game.
• When the starting pitcher isn’t credited with the win, the win is awarded to the relief pitcher judged by the scorer to have been the most effective, or who is the pitcher of record when his team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game.

If a one-game playoff is needed to determine a Division or Wild Card winner, scoring from this game won’t be applied to Fantasy leagues. The Fantasy season isn't extended for rain-outs or makeup games played after the regular season is scheduled to end.