For more examples, click here.

A Runner Steals a Base

When a baserunner steals a base in the middle of a plate appearance, then that plate appearance continues with the count advancing depending on the result of the pitch— ball or strike. Meanwhile, the runner or runners now take their new base(s); now that they have advanced, the chances that they can now come around to score will have gone up. With runners at new bases, the pitcher gets a new set of disengagements to work with, with the general rule remaining the same: the pitcher can disengage twice, if they disengage a third time without successfully picking a runner off, it counts as a balk.

Of course, if the base the runner stole was home plate, they are no longer on base— they have scored a run. Play now continues; if there are still runners on base after the stolen base, not much will have changed from the previous pitch, though if the bases are now empty, the game state will shift slightly.