Striking out the side

Last updated

In baseball, striking out the side refers to when a pitcher strikes out all the batters he faces in the defensive half-inning in which he pitches. There is no official statistic in regard to this accomplishment, though it is often noted by commentators and fans when it occurs.

There is a disagreement as to the exact definition of striking out the side. Some feel a pitcher should be credited with striking out the side when all three outs in the inning were obtained via the strikeout, regardless of what other hitters that the pitcher has faced have done. Others believe a pitcher only has struck out the side when he has retired 3 batters in succession without allowing anyone to reach base. The former definition is unlikely, however, given the common phrase, “(the pitcher) retired the side in order.”

In theory, a pitcher can record any number of strikeouts in an inning, since it is possible for a batter to safely reach first base without recording an out if the catcher does not hold the third strike. Recording more than three strikeouts in an inning, however, is a rare occurrence.

See also

An immaculate inning is the rare feat of retiring all three batters faced in an inning on strikeouts with only nine pitches thrown.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baseball statistics</span>

Baseball statistics include a variety of metrics used to evaluate player and team performance in the sport of baseball.

In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an error or a passed ball committed by the defense; it is "unearned" in that it was, in a sense, "given away" by the defensive team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Martínez</span> Dominican-American baseball pitcher (born 1971)

Pedro Jaime Martínez is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2009, for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from 1998 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strikeout</span> In baseball, a batter called out due to three strikes

In baseball or softball, a strikeout occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safely as a result. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is usually denoted by the letter K, or sometimes by the initialism SO. A "strikeout looking"—in which the batter does not swing and the third strike is called by the umpire—may be denoted by an inverted K.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Gibson</span> American baseball player (1935–2020)

Robert Gibson, nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competitive nature, Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foul ball</span> In baseball, generally, a struck ball that ends up in foul territory

In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dazzy Vance</span> American baseball player (1891-1961)

Charles Arthur "Dazzy" Vance was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher for five different franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) in a career that spanned twenty years. Known for his impressive fastball, Vance was the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts seven consecutive seasons. Vance was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baseball rules</span>

Throughout baseball's history, the rules have frequently changed as the game continues to evolve. A few common rules most professional leagues have in common are that four balls are a base on balls, three strikes are a strikeout, and three outs end a half-inning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Harden</span> Canadian baseball player (born 1981)

James Richard Harden is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lefty-righty switch</span> Baseball maneuver

In baseball, the lefty-righty switch is a maneuver by which a player who may be at a disadvantage against an opponent of a certain handedness is replaced by a substitute who is better suited for the situation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncaught third strike</span> Baseball term

In baseball and softball, an uncaught third strike occurs when the catcher fails to cleanly catch a pitch for the third strike of a plate appearance. In Major League Baseball (MLB), the specific rules concerning the uncaught third strike are addressed in Rules 5.05 and 5.09 of the Official Baseball Rules:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Ashby</span> American baseball player (born 1967)

Andrew Jason Ashby is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., Ashby batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Andy is the uncle to professional player Aaron Ashby.

This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Scherzer</span> American baseball player (born 1984)

Maxwell Martin Scherzer, nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Texas Rangers. A right-handed starting pitcher, Scherzer is an eight-time MLB All-Star, has won three Cy Young Awards, has pitched two no-hitters, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019, and the Texas Rangers in 2023. Scherzer is considered to be one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shutout (baseball)</span> Baseball achievement

In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run. If two or more pitchers combine to complete this act, no pitcher is awarded a shutout, although the team itself can be said to have "shut out" the opposing team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sale</span> American baseball player (born 1989)

Christopher Allen Sale is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. He throws left-handed and is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Browning's perfect game</span>

On September 16, 1988, Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds pitched the 12th perfect game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 1–0 at Riverfront Stadium. Browning became the first left-handed pitcher to pitch a perfect game since Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965. As of 2024, this perfect game is also the only one in Major League history to be pitched on artificial turf.

Luis Heibardo García is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). García signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2017, and made his MLB debut in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rōki Sasaki's perfect game</span> 2022 baseball game of Japanese professional baseball

On April 10, 2022, Rōki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Pacific League threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba City. It was the 16th perfect game in NPB history. Sasaki tied a NPB single-game record with 19 strikeouts and set an NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts.

References

https://archive.today/20130801194553/http://blogs.thescore.com/djf/2013/07/31/steve-delabars-immaculate-inning-from-last-night/