Scenario: With the home team leading 13-1 after 6 innings, the starting pitcher switches places with the right fielder to preserve the moundsman’s arm. The right fielder gives up 9 runs in the next 2 innings, though, so the starter is brought back to the mound to pitch the top of the ninth. With the home team now leading 13-10, he strikes out the side in order to close out the game.

As the official scorer you give the starter the win, as all of the rulebook’s criteria are met, but do you also award a save?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: B – No.

Rule 10.19(b) states:
[The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when] He is not the winning pitcher.

Scenario: The visitors hold a 2-1 lead and the team’s starter has two outs in the bottom of the ninth and is yet to concede a hit. However, the next batter up lines the first pitch right back at the mound, and the ball deflects off the pitcher’s knee into the outfield. The batter-runner slides into second base and is called safe, and you pencil in a double on your scoresheet. The pitcher needs medical attention and is relieved by a lefty, who had been warming up in the bullpen. The first thing the reliever does is to throw the ball to the first baseman for an appeal. The runner at second is called out for missing the base, and the game is over.

As the official scorer, do you credit the starter with a no-hitter?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: B – No.

Rule 10.02(c)(1) Comment states:
If a relief pitcher enters a game and his team initiates a successful appeal play that results in one out, the officer scorer shall credit such relief pitcher with â…“ of an inning pitched.

Thus, while the hit is nullified, the starter is not given a complete game and therefore cannot be awarded a no-hitter. Instead, it would go down as a combined no-hitter.

Scenario: A game starts at noon and the last out is made at 16.10. During the game there is a 60-minute delay for rain and a 10-minute delay to adjust the umpire crew after the plate umpire twists an ankle.

As the official scorer, what do you put down as the duration of the game in your report?

A – 3 hours.
B – 3 hours 10 minutes.
C – 4 hours.
D – 4 hours 10 minutes.

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Answer: B - 3 hours 10 minutes.

Rule 10.02(l) states:
Time required to play the game, with delays deducted for weather, light failure or technological failure not related to game action.

Rule 10.02(l) Comment states:
A delay to attend to the injury of a player, manager, coach or umpire shall be counted in computing time of game.

Scenario: With a runner on first the batter appears to have a hit a run-scoring triple, but the preceding runner is called out on a appeal play for failing to touch second base.

The batter obviously loses a run batted in, but, as the official scorer, to what do you downgrade the triple?

A – A double.
B – A single.
C – No hit (just an at-bat).

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Answer: C – No hit (just an at-bat).

Rule 10.05(b)(2) states:
[The official scorer shall not credit a base hit when a] batter apparently hits safely and a runner who is forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner fails to touch the first base to which such runner is advancing and is called out on appeal. The official scorer shall charge the batter with a time at bat but no hit.

Scenario: In a 6-inning regulation game called because of rain, the starter leaves after 4 innings with an 8–0 lead. In the fifth, a reliever strikes out the first three batters, and in the sixth a second reliever does the same thing.

The rulebook says that the starter would have needed to pitch 5 innings to be eligible for the win in this game, and so the win should go to the more effective reliever. However, they turned in an identical performance. So, as the official scorer, to whom do you award the win?

A – The starter.
B – Reliever one.
C – Reliever two.

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Answer: B – Reliever one.

Rule 10.17(b) Comment states:
If two or more relief pitchers were similarly effective, the official scorer should give the presumption to the earlier pitcher as the winning pitcher.

Scenario: The first batter of the inning singles, but the second player up grounds into a double-play. After the third batter in the innning hits a triple, the fourth draws a walk to put runners on the corners. The runner on first is picked off and gets caught in a run-down, triggering the other runner to head for home. The player in the run-down manages to avoid being put out for long enough for the run to score, and, following a continuation of the run-down, then reaches second on what is clearly an error.

As the official scorer, is the run an earned one?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: A – Yes.

In a reconstructed inning without the error, the run still scores as the third out was a tag play, not a force play.

Scenario: The starting pitcher issues a walk to the first batter in the top of the ninth and is relieved. The next batter grounds into a force out at second and reaches on a fielder’s choice. The third batter then hits a 2-run homer, but this is followed by three straight strike-outs.

As the official scorer, how do you assign the earned runs?

A – One each to the starter and reliever.
B – Both to the reliever.

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Answer: A – One each to the starter and reliever.

Rule 10.16(g) Comment states:
When a pitcher puts runners on base and is relieved, such pitcher shall be charged with all runs subsequently scored up to and including the number of runners such pitcher left on base when such pitcher left the game, unless such runners are put out without action by the batter (i.e., caught stealing, picked off base or called out for interference when a batter-runner does not reach first base on the play).

Scenario: The starting pitcher issues a walk to the first batter in the top of the ninth and is relieved. The reliever also issues a walk but then, before pitching to the third batter of the inning, manages to pick off the runner at second. The third batter then hits a 2-run homer, but this is followed by three straight strike-outs.

As the official scorer, how do you assign the earned runs?

A – One each to the starter and reliever.
B – Both to the reliever.

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Answer: B – Both to the reliever.

Rule 10.16(g) Comment states:
When a pitcher puts runners on base and is relieved, such pitcher shall be charged with all runs subsequently scored up to and including the number of runners such pitcher left on base when such pitcher left the game, unless such runners are put out without action by the batter (i.e., caught stealing, picked off base or called out for interference when a batter-runner does not reach first base on the play).