Run (baseball)

In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured. A player may score by hitting a home run or by any combination of plays that puts him safely "on base" (that is, on first, second, or third) as a runner and subsequently brings him home. The object of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent.

With two outs at the start of play, the batter must reach first base and any base runners obligated to run to the next base must reach the next base on a batted ball if a run is to be counted. Thus if a baserunner running from third base crosses home plate with two out before a batter is put out on a ground out or before a fly ball is caught after two outs, then the run that would otherwise score is null; likewise, if a conventional double play is made with one out on a ground ball involving forces at other bases, the run that would otherwise score before the third out is registered is void. But if the play involves no batted ball, the baserunner who scores before the third out is made scores a run. Example: with runners at first and third, the runner at first base attempts to steal second base. The runner on third takes off for home plate while the runner from first base is in a rundown. Should the runner from third score before the baserunner originally at first base be put out, then a run scores.

In baseball statistics, a player who advances around all the bases to score is credited with a run (R), sometimes referred to as a "run scored." While runs scored is considered an important individual batting statistic, it is regarded as less significant than runs batted in (RBIs)—superiority in the latter, for instance, is one of the elements of the exceptional batting achievement known as the Triple Crown. Both individual runs scored and runs batted in are heavily context-dependent; for a more sophisticated assessment of a player's contribution toward producing runs for his team, see runs created.

A pitcher is likewise assessed runs surrendered in his statistics, which differentiate between standard earned runs (for which the pitcher is statistically assigned full responsibility) and so-called unearned runs scored due to fielding errors. If a pitching substitution occurs while a runner is on base, and that runner eventually scores a run, the pitcher who allowed the player to get on base is charged with the run even though he was no longer pitching when the run scored.