Chasing saves in MLB The Show 26 can feel weirdly awkward, especially when you're working through programs and just want the mission to tick over. You might spend time building your squad, checking rewards, or looking at MLB The Show 26 buy stubs options, then jump into a game thinking one clean inning from your closer will do the job. Sometimes it does. Sometimes the game shrugs and gives you nothing. The trick is knowing when the stat actually exists before you even warm someone up.

Keep the lead close enough

The easiest save setup is still the one most baseball fans know. Enter the last inning with a lead of one, two, or three runs, bring in a reliever, and let him finish the game. That's it. In a nine-inning game, that usually means the 9th. In shorter Diamond Dynasty games, it's often the 3rd. The funny part is that being too good at the plate can ruin it. If you're up 3-0 and then smash a late grand slam, you've probably killed the save chance. It feels good for about ten seconds, right up until the mission tracker stays frozen.

The tying run rule matters

There's another way to make a save happen, and it's useful when the score has already got away from you. A reliever can qualify if the tying run is either at the plate, on base, or on deck when he comes in. So, say you're leading by four with the bases loaded. That's still a save spot, because one swing could tie the game. It's not the calmest method. You're basically inviting trouble just to satisfy a stat requirement. Still, if you need one more save for a program, it can be worth setting up on purpose against the CPU.

Three innings can save a blowout

The rule people forget most often is the three-inning save. If a reliever pitches the final three full innings and finishes the game, the score doesn't matter. You can be winning by one run or by fifteen. As long as he's not the winning pitcher and he stays in until the final out, the save can count. This is a handy route in longer offline games. Build a big lead, stop worrying about the score, and hand the ball to one reliever for the last three frames. Just don't get cute with substitutions halfway through.

Don't steal the save from yourself

The game won't give one pitcher both the win and the save, so watch who is in line for the decision. If your reliever enters before your team takes the lead and becomes the pitcher of record, he's getting the win instead. Also, don't change arms with two outs in the last inning unless you absolutely have to. The pitcher who records the final out is the one who can get credited, not the guy who did most of the work before him. Whether you're grinding missions, testing bullpen cards, or opening MLB The Show 26 packs between games, set the situation first and the save grind gets a lot less annoying.