Scenario: A batter has a count of two balls and two strikes.

In which of the following circumstances would a strike-out be awarded?

A – Batter bunts the next pitch and the ball drops and stays in foul territory.
B – Batter bunts the next pitch and the ball is caught as a foul-tip by the catcher.
C – Batter bunts the next pitch foul, with the ball popping up several metres and being caught by the catcher.
D – A and B.
E - A and C.
F - B and C.
G – A, B, and C.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: D – A and B.

Rule 10.15(a)(4) states:
[The official scorer shall score a strikeout whenever a batter] bunts foul on third strike, unless such bunt on third strike results in a foul fly caught by any fielder, in which case the official scorer shall not score a strikeout and shall credit the fielder who catches such foul fly with a putout.

Scenario: There are no outs in the bottom of the ninth and runners are on first and third. The game is tied. The batter hits a slow chopper back to the pitcher. The ball sits up kindly and the pitcher has an easy chance to field it cleanly. The runner at first heads towards second base, and the runner at third stays close to the bag. Unfortunately for the fielding team, the ball bobbles out of the pitcher’s glove and rolls several metres away. Spotting this, the runner at third darts towards home, and despite the pitcher’s best efforts to recover the ball and throw it to the catcher, the runner crosses the plate just in time for the winning run. Even taking the difficulty of fielding as pitcher into account, you adjudicate that the batter-runner reached first on an error.

As the official scorer, would you credit the batter with a run batted in?

A – Yes.
B – No.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: B – No.

Rule 10.4(a)(3) states:
[The official scorer shall credit the batter with a run batted in for every run that scores] when, before two are out, an error is made on a play on which a runner from third base ordinarily would score.

In light of the game situation and the ease with which the pitcher could have prevented the run, a run batted in cannot be awarded.

Scenario: With none out and runners on first and third, the batter hits a blooper over the shortstop’s head. The runner at third waits on the bag to see the play unfold but the runner from first takes up a position half-way between first base and second base. The shortstop dives and manages to make the catch, retiring the batter. At this point, the runner from third leaves the bag and heads home to score while the other runner sprints back towards first base. Unfortunately for the runner, the shortstop makes an excellent throw to complete a double-play at first.

As the official scorer, would you credit the batter with a run batted in?

A – Yes.
B – No.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: A – Yes.

Rule 10.4(b)(1) states:
[The official scorer shall not credit a run batted in] when the batter grounds into a force double play or a reverse-force double play.

In the example above, though, the batter does not ground into a double play, and so there is no reason to withhold credit for the run batted in.

Scenario: With none out and runners on first and third, the batter hits a ground-ball to the shortstop, who throws it to the second baseman to force the runner out heading towards second. The second baseman has ample time to make a throw to the first baseman for a double-play, but sends the ball well wide of the fielder, enabling the batter-runner to reach safely. While this is happening the runner who was on third comes home to score.

As the official scorer, would you credit the batter with a run batted in?

A – Yes.
B – No.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: A – Yes.

Rule 10.12(d)(3) states:
[The official scorer shall not charge an error against] any fielder who makes a wild throw in attempting to complete a double play or triple play, unless such wild throw enables any runner to advance beyond the base such runner would have reached had the throw not been wild.

By extension, the batter is not considered to have grounded into a double play, and so credit for the run batted in cannot be withheld.

Scenario: With none out and runners on first and third, the batter hits a ground-ball to the shortstop, who throws it to the second baseman to force the runner out heading towards second. The second baseman then makes a good throw to the first baseman that is in time to retire the batter-runner, but the fielder drops the ball, enabling the batter-runner to reach safely. While this is happening the runner who was on third comes home to score.

As the official scorer, would you credit the batter with a run batted in?

A – Yes.
B – No.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: B – No.

Rule 10.4(b)(2) states:
[The official scorer shall not credit a run batted in] when a fielder is charged with an error because the fielder muffs a throw at first base that would have completed a force double play.

Scenario: A batter comes to the plate five times in the game you are scoring, striking out in the first plate appearance, hitting a double in the second, laying down a successful sacrifice bunt in the third, grounding out in the fourth, and then hitting a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

As the official scorer, what on-base percentage would you calculate for the batter in this game?

A – 1/5 = .200.
B – 1/4 = .250.
C – 1/3 = .333.
D – 1/2 = .500.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: B – 1/4 = .250.

Rule 10.21(f) states:
[To compute] On-base percentage, divide the sum of hits, bases on balls and times hit by pitch by the sum of at-bats, bases on balls, times hit by pitch and sacrifice flies.

Scenario: The first batter of an inning strikes out. The second hits a triple. The third connects for a run-scoring single. The fourth batter strikes out on a pitch in the dirt that rolls away from the catcher, allowing the runner at first to advance to second. You charge a wild pitch to the pitcher for this. The fifth batter singles down the middle, scoring the runner from second on a close play at the plate (in your opinion, the runner would not have scored from first, and so the advancement on the wild pitch enabled the run). The sixth batters flies out to the centre fielder, stranding the runner at first.

As the official scorer, how many of the 2 runs that score do you charge as earned runs against the pitcher?

A – 0.
B – 1.
C – 2.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

Answer: C – 2.

Rule 10.16(a) states:
… A wild pitch is solely the pitcher’s fault and shall contribute to an earned run just as a base on balls or a balk …