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Sacrifice Bunt — Out at First

The batter lays down a bunt, with the specific intention of moving the existing runner/runners up a base. The defense takes them up on the invitation, and since this is a force play, all the defense has to do is to get the ball to first base before the runner touches said base. Alternatively, the defense can also tag the runner out (you’ll often see this on plays where the throw to first base is a little off-target, so the fielder has to leave the base to catch the ball, but that puts them in range to just tag the runner as they go by), again before the runner makes it to first.

This play is scored as a sacrifice bunt¹, as the batter has sacrificed an out for the chance to put the other runner or runners in a more advantageous position. In this case, the batter does not get credit for an at-bat, but does get credited with a plate appearance.

Once the runner has been called out, the play is still nominally live; if one of the other runners decides to wander off their new base, the defense can always try to tag that runner out. However, this pretty much never happens, unless the runner suddenly suffers a bout of transient global amnesia and forgets everything they know about baseball.

With the out made at first, there are a few different ways things can go. Of course, if the out at first was the third out, then whatever the batter was trying to do obviously did not work, and they are probably going to get an earful about if from their manager when they get back to the dugout, because the inning is now over. If there aren't three outs, then the play can potentially continue as long as there are still runners attempting to sneak to new bases, though the out at first means that all other potential outs are no longer force outs. Ultimately, when the dust settles, play will resume with runners at their new bases (unless the sacrifice scored a runner from third, and left the bases empty).