Extra innings is the extension of abaseball orsoftball game in order tobreak a tie.
Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulationinnings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; inLittle League Baseball, six), each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat. However, if the score remains tied at the end of the regulation number of complete innings, the rules provide that "play shall continue until
(Since the home team bats second, condition (2) does not allow the visiting team to score more runs before the end of the inning, unless the game is called before the inning ends).
Most of the rules of the game, including thebatting order, availability of substitute players and pitchers, etc., remain intact in extra innings, although occasionally leagues and tournaments will place runners on base to start extra innings in order to speed up the game.Managers must display caution to avoid exhausting all their substitute players during regular innings, in case the game reaches extensive extra innings. The rules call for aforfeiture if a team is unable to field a full team of nine players.[1]
InMajor League Baseball, home teams won about 52% of extra-inning games from 1957 to 2007.[2] During this same time period, home teams have won about 54% of all baseball games.[3] So while the home team has some advantage in extra-inning games, this advantage is less noticeable than the initial home-field advantage. Home teams tend to have the greatest advantage in run-scoring during the first 3 innings.[3]
For the visiting team to win, it must score as many runs as possible in the first (or "top") half of the inning and then prevent the home team from tying or taking the lead in the second (or "bottom") half. Because it bats in the bottom half of an inning, a home team wins the game by taking the lead at any point in the final inning. Normally in such a situation, the moment the winning run scores for whatever reason (base hit, sacrifice, wild pitch), the game immediately ends and no other runs are allowed. The term for winning in this scenario is a "walk-off" win (as everyone can walk off the field as soon as the winning run is scored). The exception is if the winning hit is awalk-off home run; all runners on base and the batter must circle the bases on a home run, provided that they round them all correctly, so all their runs count for the final score.[4] Each extra inning simply repeats this scenario. This is in contrast to the analogouspenalty shootout used inice hockey orassociation football, where shootout goals are counted separately and only one goal is awarded to the winner (hockey), or the game is recorded as a draw and the team winning the shootout is noted separately (association football); however, the same procedure of counting runs as if they were scored in regulation is like the overtime procedures inAmerican football,Canadian football andbasketball.
The East Asian professional leagues,NPB, andCPBL have a 12-inning limit before the game is declared a draw. Starting in 2025, theKBO will have an 11-inning limit on single games and the second game in adoubleheader, and a nine-inning limit in the first game of the doubleheader (no extra innings).
Additionally, NPB games have a total time limit of 210 minutes during the regular season before being counted as a tie.[5] Postseason play has reduced the number of innings allowed. Until 1986, the Japan Series had a 270 minute (4 hours, 30 minutes) time limit. From 1987 to 1993, it was changed to 18 innings; from 1994 to 2017, it was 15 innings. In the Climax Series, and in the Japan Series since 2018, postseason play rules are the same as the regular season in 12 innings (except in 2020 and 2021, when no extra innings were played in the regular season and first two rounds of postseason, 12 inning limits were used in the Japan Series). In case of a drawn game, it is completelyreplayed as usual. A seven-game series can be extended to an eighth game or subsequent game, something that has happened only once (in the1986 Japan Series). Starting in the eighth and subsequent game in the Japan Series, the 12-inning limit does not apply, and the game is continued until a winner is decided. Since 2021, a modified 12-inning limit is used in such games; beginning in the 13th inning, the two-runner WBSC tiebreaker will be implemented, similar to the current high school tournament rule. The two batters in the batting order before the player at bat will take first and second base.
Tie games are discarded when calculatingwinning percentages since 2002, except for 2008 when it was counted as a loss in the league'sstandings. From the league's formation in 1982 until 2001, they counted as half a win.
For CPBL postseason games, the 12-inning limit does not apply and the games will continue until a winner is decided. The longest game to be played took place during 2009Taiwan Series, where in Game 6 theBrother Elephants defeatedUni-President 7-Eleven Lions 5 to 4 after 17 innings.
In the 11th inning, the manager selects anywhere in the batting order to start the inning, regardless of the last player put out. The batter immediately preceding this newly designated leadoff man becomes a runner on first base, and the next preceding batter is placed on second base. In subsequent innings, the batting order continues as normal, but the two players preceding the player scheduled to lead off (or substitutes for those players) the inning start on second and first.
This has also been adopted by European leaguesDivision de Honor (Spain),Italian Baseball League, andHonkbal Hoofdklasse (Netherlands).
Since the2009 edition, a modified form of the rule has been used for theWorld Baseball Classic. Unlike the standard rule, the batting order may not start from a different place. Through the 2013 edition, the first inning in which teams started with runners on first and second was the 13th. The rule was not used in either the 2009 or2013 editions because no game lasted more than 11 innings. For the2017 World Baseball Classic, the rule was modified to use extra runners for the first time in the 11th inning, and it would see its first use in a second-round game betweenJapan and theNetherlands at theTokyo Dome. Japan won that game thanks to a sacrifice bunt and a 2-run hit.
Other methods include the following:[citation needed]
In international softball, a special extra innings rule starts immediately after regulation. Each team begins their half of the inning with a runner on second base (the last player to be put out). This increases the odds that teams will score and ensures a faster resolution. There is a drawback, though, in that the home team has a major advantage in batting second. Should the visiting team fail to score, all the home team must do to win is, for example, get a successful bunt and sacrifice fly to score the winning run, though a similar advantage exists in all extra-inning contests just not to that extent. This rule is also used in certainNCAA college conferences, usually applied after one or two extra innings where the "international tiebreaker" is not used.
Duringspring training inMajor League Baseball (MLB), most games are played for the regulation nine innings only; if the game is tied after nine innings, the game is over and the tie stands. There are multiple reasons for this brevity. Players are getting back into shape after the off-season, so shorter games help reduce injuries from overexertion. During spring training, teams often travel on a daily basis, so they need time to be able to travel to their next game. Lastly, there are no prizes or penalties associated with a team's preseason record, so there is no need for a definitive winner in each game.
However, there have still been extra inning games in spring training, with the most recent one being on March 30, 2022, with theHouston Astros beating theNew York Mets 5–3 in 10 innings. Usually if extra innings are played, the game will be called after the 10th inning for the above mentioned reasons.
In 2020, MLB implemented theWBSC softball version of the extra innings rule where each half-inning during extra innings is started with a runner on second base. As with the earlier WBSC rule, the objective is to increase scoring opportunities and shorten extra inning games. The batting order does not change, as the runner placed on second base is normally the player who, in the batting order, immediately precedes the batter leading off the inning. On July 24, 2020, theOakland Athletics defeated theLos Angeles Angels, 7–3, in the first MLB extra-inning game played using this rule.[6] The rule increased the percentage of extra inning games ending in the 10th inning from 43.9% during the 2019 season to 69.1% during the 2020 season.[7] The rule was later extended into the 2021 and 2022 seasons and was made permanent beginning with the 2023 season.
The ghost runner is often referred to as the "Manfred Man," an allusion to the rule having been implemented during CommissionerRob Manfred's tenure, and a play on the name of the British musicianManfred Mann. However, the rule is based on the international rule for tournaments, which has been used as early as 2008.
Extra runners are not used in MLB postseason games.[8] Postseason games that last beyond nine innings begin all extra innings without any runner being placed on base. InNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, if a tie occurs in the Japan Series that causes it to be extended past seven games, subsequent games (starting with the eighth game) will have runners placed on first and second base starting in the 13th inning (which is not played in NPB), similar to the Koshien (high school) tournament games.
There are nine regulation innings in a professional baseball game.
The record for the most innings played in a single professional game is 33, which occurred in 1981 in aMinor League Baseball game between thePawtucket Red Sox and theRochester Red Wings, at the time theTriple-A affiliates of theBoston Red Sox and theBaltimore Orioles, respectively.[9]
Each team had a futureHall of Famer on its roster:Wade Boggs for Pawtucket andCal Ripken Jr. for Rochester.
The longest game by innings inMajor League Baseball was a 1–1 tie in theNational League between theBoston Braves and theBrooklyn Robins in 26 innings, atBraves Field inBoston on May 1,1920.[10] It had become too dark to see the ball (fields did not have lights yet and the sun was setting), and the game was considered a draw. Played rapidly by modern standards, those 26 innings were completed in 3 hours and 50 minutes. As was the custom, the first pitch was thrown at 3:00 p.m., home plate umpireBarry McCormick called the game as lights began appearing in the windows of buildings across theCharles River, just before 7:00 p.m.
The longestAmerican League game, and tied for the longest major league game by innings which ended with one team winning, was a 7–6 victory by theChicago White Sox over theMilwaukee Brewers in 25 innings, atComiskey Park inChicago in1984. The game began at 7:30 p.m. on May 8, 1984, and after scoring early runs both teams scored twice in the 8th inning; but the game was suspended after 17 innings with the score tied 3–3 due to a leaguecurfew rule prohibiting an inning from beginning after 12:59 a.m. The game was continued the following evening, May 9, 1984, and both teams scored three times in the 21st inning to make the score 6–6; finally, in the bottom of the 25th, the White Sox'Harold Baines hit awalk-off home run to end the contest.Tom Seaver was thewinning pitcher inrelief.[11] A regularly scheduled game followed, meaning both nights saw 17 innings played; Seaver also started, and won, the second game 5–4. The official time of the entire 25-inning game was 8 hours, 6 minutes, also a major league record.[12]
On September 12, 1974, baseball'sSt. Louis Cardinals won a marathon night game that had started the evening before, defeating the hostNew York Mets, 4 to 3, in the 25th inning after 7 hours and 4 minutes.[13] This game is the longestNational League contest to be played to a decision and is also tied with the aforementioned Brewers-White Sox game on May 8-9, 1984, for the longest game played to a decision in major league history. Two Mets errors led to the Cardinals' winning run, starting with an errant pickoff throw that allowedBake McBride to scamper all the way around from first.[14] The Mets went to the plate 103 times, a record in a major league game; the Cardinals were not far behind with 99 plate appearances. All told, a record 175 official at-bats were recorded, with a major-league record 45 runners stranded. Only a thousand fans were still atShea Stadium when the game ended at 3:13 a.m. on September 12. Unlike the American League, the National League had no curfew. This was the longest game played to a decision without a suspension.[15][16]
On April 15,1968, theHouston Astros defeated the Mets 1–0 in a 24-inning game at theHouston Astrodome. The 6-hour, 6-minute contest, which ended with the Astros'Bob Aspromonte hitting a grounder through the legs of Mets shortstopAl Weis in the bottom of the 24th, remains the longestshutout game in major league history.[17]
The longest American League game to end in a tie was a 24-inning contest between theDetroit Tigers andPhiladelphia Athletics on July 21,1945. The teams were tied 1–1 when the game was called due to darkness atShibe Park; the Tigers'Les Mueller had pitched a record 192⁄3 innings, giving up one run before being taken out in the 20th inning.
The longest game to end in a scoreless tie was a National League contest between theCincinnati Reds andBrooklyn Dodgers on September 11,1946. The teams went 19 innings before darkness fell at Brooklyn'sEbbets Field, forcing the game to be called on account of darkness. In the American League, the longest 0–0 game was played between theWashington Senators andDetroit Tigers on July 16,1909. The game was called after 18 innings due to darkness atBennett Park in Detroit. The longest scoreless period within a completed game came in the April 15, 1968 game between the Astros and Mets which remained scoreless after 23 innings.
TheWashington Senators became the first team in Major League history to play multiple games of at least 20 innings in a season when they defeated theMinnesota Twins 9–7 in 20 innings on August 9, 1967, after winning a 22-inning game over the Chicago White Sox on June 12 of that year. This feat would later be accomplished by the 1971Oakland Athletics who had games of 21 and 20 innings and the 1989Los Angeles Dodgers who played two 22-inning contests.[18]
The longestdoubleheader in Major League history was on May 31,1964. TheSan Francisco Giants beat theNew York Mets 5–3 in nine innings in the day's first game atShea Stadium, and then won the nightcap 8–6 after 23 innings. The two games lasted a combined nine hours, 52 minutes. The Mets'Ed Kranepool played in all 32 innings of the two games; Kranepool had been called up to the team that day after having played in both games of a doubleheader the day before for their Triple-A club in Buffalo.
On April 5,2012, theToronto Blue Jays beat theCleveland Indians 7–4 in 16 innings. The five-hour, 14-minute game was the longestOpening Day game in Major League history.[19]
On June 8,2013, theToronto Blue Jays beat theTexas Rangers 4–3 in 18 innings while theMiami Marlins beat theNew York Mets 2–1 in 20 innings. This was the second time in Major League history that two games of 18 innings or more were played on same day;[20] the first was August 15, 2006.[21]
In the 2013 season, theArizona Diamondbacks set a major league record by playing 78 extra innings.[22][23] This broke the season record of 76 extra innings played by theMinnesota Twins in1969.
In the 2020 season, and later extended into 2021 and 2022 before being made permanent in 2023, a new rule was added, adding a runner on second to begin each extra inning. The longest game played under these rules was a 16-inning game on August 25, 2021 between the Dodgers and Padres in San Diego where the Dodgers won 5–3 after both teams entered extra innings tied at 1 and traded two runs each in the 15th inning.[24]
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In October 1999, in the "Grand Single" game 5 of the1999 NLCS, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th inning,Robin Ventura of theNew York Mets, who had hit two grand slam home runs in one game during the regular season, hit the ball over the outfield fence for, apparently, another grand slam. He celebrated with his teammates and did not advance to second base. According to the rules, only one run scored, giving the Mets a 4–3 win over theAtlanta Braves.
The longest postseason game by innings in MLB history is 18 innings; this has occurred in five games, all of which were decided by a solo home run. Four of the five 18 inning games involve either theHouston Astros or theLos Angeles Dodgers.
The first 18-inning contest was played between theAtlanta Braves and theHouston Astros on October 9, 2005. In Game 4 of aNational League Division Series inHouston, the Braves (who were trailing the series 2–1 and facing elimination) took a 6–1 lead into the 8th inning. Agrand slam byLance Berkman in the bottom of the 8th brought the score to 6–5, and with two outs in the bottom of the 9th,Brad Ausmus homered to tie the game and send it to extra innings. The score remained deadlocked at 6–6 until the 18th, when the Astros'Chris Burke (who entered the game in the 9th inning as a pinch runner) hit a walk-off home run to left to win it, sending Houston to theNLCS.Roger Clemens, who was brought in topinch-hit in the 15th and pitched the last three innings in relief, was credited as the winning pitcher in the 5-hour, 50-minute contest.Adam LaRoche andTim Hudson played in both of the first two 18-inning games. This one as Atlanta Braves and the second one as opposing sides of one another with Hudson pitching in both games as the visiting team's starting pitcher.
The second 18-inning game was Game 2 of the2014 National League Division Series, when the visitingSan Francisco Giants defeated theWashington Nationals 2–1. The game ended just after midnight on October 5, 2014, and lasted 6 hours 23 minutes. The Nationals had been leading 1–0 with two out in the ninth inning, with starterJordan Zimmermann one out away from a complete-game shutout. Following a decision by managerMatt Williams to remove Zimmermann with two out after he walkedJoe Panik, Washington closerDrew Storen gave up a single to Giants catcherBuster Posey and an RBI double toPablo Sandoval, scoring Panik to tie the game 1–1. Posey was thrown out at the plate trying to score the second San Francisco run on Sandoval's double. AfterSergio Romo retired the Nationals in order in the bottom half, the game went into extra innings. There was no further scoring until Giants first basemanBrandon Belt led off the top of the 18th inning with a home run.Hunter Strickland, a September call-up, recorded the save. Until 2022, this was the only one to go the full 18 innings.
The third 18-inning game was Game 3 of the2018 World Series. It was played on October 26, 2018, between theBoston Red Sox andLos Angeles Dodgers atDodger Stadium. The Dodgers took a 1–0 lead in the 3rd inning whenJoc Pederson homered off of Boston starterRick Porcello. The Red Sox tied the game in the top of the 8th whenJackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo home run off of Dodgers closerKenley Jansen. The game remained deadlocked at 1 until the 13th inning whenBrock Holt scored on a throwing error by Dodgers relieverScott Alexander. The Dodgers subsequently tied it again at 2 in the bottom of the inning, whenMax Muncy scored on a throwing error by Red Sox second basemanIan Kinsler (who had entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch runner). The score remained 2–2 until the bottom of the 18th, when Muncy (who had missed a walk-off home run in the 15th inning by mere inches) hit a walk-off solo home run off of Red Sox pitcherNathan Eovaldi (who was in his 7th inning of relief). The winning pitcher for the Dodgers wasAlex Wood. With a duration of 7 hours and 20 minutes, this was also the longest postseason game by time in MLB history.[25]
The fourth 18-inning game was Game 3 of the2022 American League Division Series. It was played on October 15, 2022, between theHouston Astros andSeattle Mariners atT-Mobile Park. The Astros took a 1–0 lead in the top of the 18th inning on a home run by shortstopJeremy Peña. The Mariners went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the 18th, allowing a 3-game sweep by the Astros to advance to the American League Championship Series, and it took 6 hours, 22 minutes to finish the longestshutout game in postseason history. The 17 scoreless innings in a game set a new Major League postseason record.
The fifth and most recent 18-inning game was Game 3 of the2025 World Series between theToronto Blue Jays and theLos Angeles Dodgers atDodger Stadium on October 27, 2025.Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off solo shot offBrendon Little to end the 6 hour, 39 minute contest with a 6-5 Los Angeles victory.
The1986 National League Championship Series was notable for its two climactic extra-inning games. After theHouston Astros and theNew York Mets split the first four games of the series, the Mets won Game 5 in 12 innings and Game 6 in 16 innings to claim the pennant.[26]
The1986 American League Championship Series between theBoston Red Sox and theCalifornia Angels featured a dramatic game where the Angels were leading 3 games to 1 and leading 5–4 in game 5, one strike away from the first pennant in franchise history, only for Red Sox'sDave Henderson hit a two-run home run off Angels closerDonnie Moore in the top of the ninth inning to give the Red Sox the lead. The Angels tied it in the bottom half but in the top of the 11th, Henderson's sacrifice fly off Moore proved to be the winning margin and the Angels lost the game. The series returned toBoston and the Angels were outscored a combined 18–5 in games 6 and 7 to lose the pennant.
Game 6 of the1986 World Series between theNew York Mets andBoston Red Sox went into extra innings as well. The Red Sox scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning to take a 5–3 lead and then got two quick outs with no one on base in the bottom of the 10th. With the Red Sox one out away from their first world championship in 68 years, relieverCalvin Schiraldi gave up three straight singles (toGary Carter,Kevin Mitchell, andRay Knight), with Carter scoring on Knight's single to cut the lead to one run with runners on first and third. Red Sox managerJohn McNamara replaced Schiraldi with Bob Stanley, who then threw a two-strike wild pitch to Mookie Wilson to allow Mitchell to score the tying run and move Knight to second base. The wild pitch was particularly notable in that it completely turned the tables on the Red Sox from what they had done while facing the Angels weeks earlier, as they themselves had now blown a situation in which they were one strike away from winning the series. Wilson subsequently hit a ground ball to first base that rolled through the legs of first basemanBill Buckner, allowing Knight to score the winning run from second base and sending the Series to a Game 7 where the Mets completed the comeback. Had Buckner not committed this error, the game would have either remained tied with runners on first and third for the next batter (if Wilson was safe) or would have gone to an 11th inning (if Wilson had been out).
The1980 National League Championship Series, played between the Houston Astros and thePhiladelphia Phillies, had four of its five games go to extra innings. The Astros won Games 2 and 3 in 10 and 11 innings respectively, while the Phillies took Games 4 and 5 in 10 innings each.
Game 6 of the2011 World Series invokes echoes of 1986. In the bottom of the 9th inning, theTexas Rangers were one strike away from winning their first World Series whenDavid Freese hit a two-run triple to tie the game 7–7 and send the game to extra innings. In the 10th,Josh Hamilton hit a two-run home run to give the Rangers a 9–7 lead, but the Cardinals responded with two runs to tie the game again at 9. The game ended in the 11th inning when Freese led off with a walk-off solo home run. Just like the Mets did in 1986, the Cardinals went on to win Game 7 and the championship.
The2012 American League Division Series between theBaltimore Orioles and theNew York Yankees had back-to-back extra-inning games, going 12 and 13 innings respectively. The Yankees won Game 3 on awalk-off home run byRaúl Ibañez and the Orioles returned the favor the next night by winning Game 4.
In the1995 American League Division Series, theSeattle Mariners and Yankees battled in Game 2 in 15 innings. The Yankees won the game on a two-run walk-off home run byJim Leyritz, setting the record for longest game in MLB postseason history by time until 2005. In Game 5, the Mariners won the game and the series in 11 innings onEdgar Martínez's famousdouble that scoredKen Griffey Jr. Until 2011, this was the only LDS game 5 in either league to go into extra innings.
The2014 American League Wild Card Game featured the first extra-inning game in its third year of postseason existence, was won by theKansas City Royals over theOakland Athletics in 12 innings.
The longest Game 7 in postseason history was during the1924 World Series where theWashington Senators beat theNew York Giants 4–3 in 12 innings to claim the title.
The longest "winner take all" game (defined as the final game of a postseason series, in which the winning team clinches the title or advances to the next round while the loser is eliminated from the postseason) in MLB postseason history is the 2025 American League Division Series Game 5 (best-of-5 series), won by theSeattle Mariners over theDetroit Tigers 3-2 in 15 innings.[27]
Over the history of theWorld Series, 69 games have gone to extra innings, setting the following innings-related records.[28]
Additionally, World Series-deciding games have gone to extra innings 11 times:1912'sgame 8,[30]1924'sgame 7,[31]1933'sgame 5,[32]1939'sgame 4,[33]1991'sgame 7,[34]1992'sgame 6,[35]1997'sgame 7,[36]2012'sgame 4,[37]2015'sgame 5,[38]2016'sgame 7,[39] and2025'sgame 7.[40]
The longest major leagueAll-Star Game by time was played on July 15,2008, atYankee Stadium, with the American League winning 4–3 in 15 innings after four hours, 50 minutes.Michael Young hit the walk-off sacrifice fly to win it.[41] This was the first time in All-Star game history that the AL won an All-Star Game in extra innings. The previous nine times the National League went 8–0–1 in extra-inning games.
The All-Star Game of July 11,1967, atAnaheim Stadium also lasted 15 innings, but was considerably shorter in terms of elapsed time. The All-Star Game of July 9,2002, atMiller Park was controversially declared a 7–7 tie after 11 innings, when both teams ran out of available pitchers.[42]
Since the2022 All-Star Game, if the All-Star Game is tied after nine innings, the winner will be decided by a home run derby rather than with extra innings. Despite the association with the All-Star Game, this is distinct from the annualhome run derby held every year the day before the All-Star Game. The rules differ somewhat from the regular home run derby, with each manager selecting three players to make three swingseach to hit as many home runs as possible.[43] If a tie remains, sudden death triple-swing rounds will be played until one team outslugs the other. The winning team will be credited with a run and a hit.
On November 6, 2010, the record for longestJapan Series game was set in Game 6. TheChiba Lotte Marines and theChunichi Dragons played 15 innings totaling 5 hours and 43 minutes. The game ended a 2–2 tie leading to a Game 7 in which the Marines won the game and the championship. There has always been a playing cap in NPB play. For day games, it was sunset, and later 17.30. For night games, it was 22.30. From 1982 to 1986, the time limit was set to 4 hour, 30 minutes. In 1987, the cap changed from time to innings, with the cap being 18 innings in 1987, reduced to 15 in 1994, and since 2018, the limit is 12 innings. In addition, there is no limit on the number of innings played in an eighth or subsequent game. In2021, starting in the 13th inning of a Game 8 or later, the WBSC tiebreaker with runners on first and second base is used.
The longest game inTaiwan Series's history took place inGame 6 on October 24, 2009. TheBrother Elephants defeated theUni-President 7-Eleven Lions 5 to 4 and tied the series 3–3 after 17 innings that totals 6 hours 14 minutes. The Lions eventually took the title after defeating the Elephants 5 to 2 in Game 7. The 12 inning limit is not used in postseason play in CPBL play.
The longestcollege baseball game was played betweenTexas andBoston College on May 30,2009, in a regionalNCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament game atAustin, Texas. Texas won the game, 3–2, in 25 innings as the visiting team under NCAA tournament rules on home-team declaration during a tournament. The game lasted seven hours and three minutes.[44][45] Three years later, another NCAA tournament game passed the 20-inning mark when Kent State defeated Kentucky, 7–6, in 21 innings in an opening-round game at theGary Regional in Gary, Indiana.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | R | H | E | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Longhorns | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 3 | |||||
| Boston College Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| WP: Austin Dicharry (8–2) LP: Mike Dennhardt (5–2) Home runs: TEX: Kevin Keyes (5) BC: None Attendance: 7,104 Umpires: Phil Benson, Bill Speck, Mark Ditsworth, Darrell Arnold Notes: Duration: 7:03 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The1943 Boston Red Sox played an MLB record 31 extra inning games, winning 15 and losing 14, with 2 games tied.[46] They played 73 extra innings that season, equivalent to playing an additional eight nine-inning games.[47] The fewest extra inning games played in a season (dating back to at least 1908) is one, by the2020 St. Louis Cardinals, who played only 58 games in a season shortened by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[48] The2016 Los Angeles Angels played four extra inning games, the fewest in a 162-game season, and lost all four.[48] The record for most extra inning victories in a season is held by the1959 Pittsburgh Pirates, who won 19 of their 21 extra inning games (one of the two losses came vs. theMilwaukee Braves in the bottom of the 13th atCounty Stadium afterHarvey Haddix pitched12 perfect innings).[49][50]
The convention of the visiting team batting first means that there is no limit to the possible margin of victory for the visitors in extra innings. The MLB record is held by the1983 Texas Rangers, who put up 12 unanswered runs in the top of the 15th inning to defeat the Oakland Athletics by a score of 16–4 on July 3.[51][52] Conversely, for the home team who bats second, the highest possible margin of victory is four.
A game shall be forfeited to the opposing team when a team is unable or refuses to place nine players on the field.
