Baseball scoring can seem confusing at first, especially if you’re new to the sport. Unlike games with a running clock or frequent points, baseball scoring is based on individual plays, runs, and innings. This article explains how scoring works in baseball in a clear, step-by-step way.

Basic Objective of Scoring in Baseball

The main goal in baseball is simple: score more runs than the opposing team.
A run is scored when a player successfully travels around all four bases—first base, second base, third base, and home plate in the correct order.

At the end of the game, the team with the most runs wins.

What Is a Run?

A run is the basic unit of scoring in baseball.

A run is scored when:

• A batter becomes a runner and safely reaches home plate
• The runner touches first, second, third, and finally home plate
• The runner is not put out before reaching home

Each runner who reaches home plate counts as one run, regardless of how they got on base.

How Players Get on Base

To score a run, players must first reach base. There are several ways this can happen:

1. Hits

A batter hits the ball into fair territory and reaches base safely.

• Single: Batter reaches first base
• Double: Batter reaches second base
• Triple: Batter reaches third base
• Home Run: Batter circles all bases and scores immediately

2. Walks (Base on Balls)

If a pitcher throws four balls outside the strike zone, the batter is awarded first base.

3. Hit by Pitch

If the batter is hit by a pitched ball (and did not swing), they are awarded first base.

4. Errors

If a defensive player makes a mistake that allows the batter or runner to reach base safely, it is recorded as an error.

How Runs Are Scored During Play

Runs are usually scored when:

• A batter gets a hit that allows runners on base to advance
• A sacrifice fly or ground ball lets a runner score
• A home run scores the batter and all runners on base
• A runner steals home (rare but possible)

Multiple runs can be scored on a single play if more than one runner reaches home plate.

Home Runs and Scoring

A home run is the most direct way to score.

• The batter hits the ball over the outfield fence in fair territory
• The batter automatically scores one run
• Any runners already on base also score

For example:

• Bases empty → 1 run
• One runner on base → 2 runs
• Bases loaded → 4 runs (called a grand slam)

Innings and When Teams Score

A standard baseball game is divided into nine innings.

• Each inning has a top half and a bottom half
• The visiting team bats in the top half
• The home team bats in the bottom half
• Teams can only score runs when they are batting

An inning ends when the defensive team records three outs.

Keeping Score: The Scoreboard

A baseball scoreboard typically shows:

• Runs (R)
• Hits (H)
• Errors (E)

The most important number is runs, as this determines the winner. Hits and errors provide context but do not directly decide the outcome.

Winning the Game

At the end of nine innings:

• The team with more runs wins
• If the score is tied, the game goes into extra innings
• Extra innings continue until one team leads at the end of a full inning

Conclusion

Scoring in baseball revolves around one core idea: advancing runners around the bases to score runs. While there are many ways to reach base and score, every run counts the same. Understanding how runs are created, counted, and tracked makes watching and enjoying baseball much easier.