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I’ve been reading more pro baseball stories lately. Even though I nearly gave up on the sport three or four years ago, I find myself intrigued by some of the goings-on. It’s just more like watching pro wrestling now instead of the game I grew up with. Anyway, I do enjoy sports-related puzzles, so here’s something I created. I hope it doesn’t seem too much like a high school test question:
In the top of the first inning, star pitcher Jake
recorded three strikeouts. Unfortunately, he also yielded
two extra-base hits (a double and a triple),
along with one walk and one single.
Runners advanced normally, and
there were no other plays (steals, errors, etc).What are the most runs Jake’s opponent could have scored?
What about the fewest?
Click here for the answer.
Most: 3
1. Walk
2. Single
3. Double
*Score: 1. Man on 2nd and 3rd bases
4. Triple
*Score: 3
Fewest: 1
1. Triple
2. Double
*Man on 3rd can’t advance
3. Walk
*Bases loaded
4. Single
*Score: 1
posted by Jake Le Master on 6-20-2008 at 8:19 am
Most: 3
1. Walk (Man on first)
2. Single (Men on first and second)
3. Double (Two men score, man on second)
4. Triple (One man scores, man on third)
*Score: 3
Fewest: 1
1. Triple (Man on third)
2. Double (Man scores, man on second)
3. Walk (Men on First and Second because runner does not advance on a walk unless they are forced to).
4. Single (Bases Loaded)
*Score: 1
posted by Josh on 6-20-2008 at 8:43 am
Even given the statement of the puzzle, I still found myself looking for obscure cases that might still fit the conditions.
Like, perhaps, a dropped third strike. If the last hit is a triple, followed by a dropped third strike where the runner from third reaches home before the batter is called out at first, doesn’t that run count? (and the batter is still considered to have struck out)
posted by Gary on 6-20-2008 at 9:49 am
Right, Gary, that’s why I clarified that there were no other plays during this half-inning. (Wanted to make sure!)
And as far as scoring three runs in the inning, it doesn’t matter what order the walk, single, and double are in as long as the LAST hit in the inning is the triple (which will score the third run no matter what).
And while I’m not into reCaptcha, I found it funny that the one for this comment was “ish Umpire.”
posted by Sandy on 6-20-2008 at 10:00 am
One minor quibble - How on earth does a man on third not advance if a double is hit? There’s almost no way that’s possible, unless the guy on third is taking a nap or something.
posted by pdb on 6-20-2008 at 11:34 am
pdb: I am not sure if it would count as an error, but imagine a pop fly hit between the shortstop and left fielder. If both the SS and LF go for the ball and it appears to the runner that they might catch it he will hold on base. If the SS undershoots and the LF picks it up on the first bounce while on the run the guy on third might stay where he is if the left fielder is known to have a good arm and the runner is slow (particularly if the person hitting the ball was the second batter; and the (slow) runner knows that two people are now in scoring position with no outs, which is a better choice than risking the sacrifice of a runner in scoring position to getting tagged at home.)
posted by evgen on 6-20-2008 at 12:30 pm
I spent too much time on this because the answers are trivial and, like Gary, was looking for some obscure cases.
Most) There are only 4 baserunners. No hit balls result in putouts. No homers, so there will be at least one man LOB. 3 runs.
Least) 4 baserunners, only 3 bases. 1 run.
posted by loomis on 6-20-2008 at 12:38 pm
Walk
Double
Triple
Single
Total of three runs.
posted by Emily S S on 6-20-2008 at 1:54 pm
Not to sound argumentative, but if a “balk” occured with the runner on third, it would be a fourth run. You said there were no other “plays” but technically a balk is considered a “no pitch”…not really a play!
posted by Mikey on 6-20-2008 at 9:35 pm
The most runs could be 6. If the catcher misplays strike 3 on each of the strikeouts, the strikeout is recorded, but the batter reaches first base. No error is recorded
posted by Bob on 6-24-2008 at 8:23 pm
When I said “there were no other plays,” though, that’s what I was implying. Nothing out of the ordinary. No double-steals, no balks, no fielding errors, no interference, no dropped third strikes… nothing!
posted by Sandy on 6-25-2008 at 7:39 am