# Six inning ballgame? What did I miss? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342 "2009-06-29T14:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/1 "2009-06-29T14:36:15Z")
Ok, so I’m pretty new to baseball, so I assume there’s a lot I don’t know yet. But we’ve been going to games all summer (Lakewood Blue Claws here in NJ) and loving it. On Saturday night, we went to a game and found that the previous night’s game had been called in the 3rd inning due to rain. So they finished that game up, ending 1-0 finally in the 9th. Then the actual scheduled game started, and we watched it…right up until the end of the 6th inning, when the score was 3-2 at 11:30 PM. And just like the scoreboard lights up with “We Win!!!” and the players jump and down congratulating each other. What did I miss? I was following the game quite closely—it’s not like I was drinking beer and chatting with friends and lost track of time. The scoreboard was quite clearly still on the 6th inning. My wife, daughter and I were all equally perplexed. Why would a game end in the 6th inning like that? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/2 "2009-06-29T14:52:14Z")
Curfew. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/3 "2009-06-29T14:53:17Z")
Actually, your game lasted 7 innings, here’s the [box score](http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&gid=2009_06_27_delafx_lwdafx_1&cid=427&t=g_box). As for why it only last 7 (the home team doesn’t bat in the bottom of the last inning if they’re ahead), I have no idea. Still looking… ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/4 "2009-06-29T14:54:13Z")
That just ends the game? Why don’t they finish it the next night? Does MLB work the same way? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/5 "2009-06-29T14:55:43Z")
I don’t think it was curfew - here’s an [article](http://www.blueclaws.com/lakewood_blueclaws_news_details.asp?id=732)about a BlueClaws game that was called for curfew at 12:30am, an hour later. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/6 "2009-06-29T14:56:04Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Actually, your game lasted 7 innings, here’s the [box score](http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&gid=2009_06_27_delafx_lwdafx_1&cid=427&t=g_box). As for why it only last 7 (the home team doesn’t bat in the bottom of the last inning if they’re ahead), I have no idea. Still looking… That may be correct—we both agree that the scoreboard didn’t have anything up past the sixth inning. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/7 "2009-06-29T14:57:55Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > That just ends the game? Why don’t they finish it the next night? Does MLB work the same way? If it was curfew, yeah, it’d be over as long as 5 innings are complete (or 4 1/2 if the home team is ahead). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/8 "2009-06-29T14:58:39Z")
I didn’t realize it was still in practice, but it used to be common for minor league twi-night double headers to end after seven innings. The first game would go nine full innings and then the second would end after seven. I was never sure of the reasoning behind it, but I’ve seen it happen several times. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/9 "2009-06-29T15:02:57Z")
Some minor leagues have the rule that each single-event game lasts nine innings, unless called for rain after the fifth (at which point it is deemed a complete game), but… If a game begins and is halted prior to the firth inning, to be played out prior to the next official game between the teams, or if a double-header is scheduled, either both games or the second game of the planned or impromptu-due-to-rescheduling doubleheader is to be a seven-inning game. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/10 "2009-06-29T15:09:28Z")
I bet that’s it. They have a daily blogger on their team website - I posted a question on the game’s blog entry. We’ll see… ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/11 "2009-06-29T15:09:47Z")
I suppose that explains why no one else there seemed confused. Of course, because of the length of the game, the rain earlier in the day and then the temperature dropping, there was hardly anyone left in he stadium by the 7th inning anyway. It’s almost July and we’re freezing our butts off at night because of the miserable weather here. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/12 "2009-06-29T15:31:02Z")
You weren’t standing on your head by any chance, were you? It’s happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/13 "2009-06-29T15:48:04Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > It’s almost July and we’re freezing our butts off at night because of the miserable weather here. Send some cold south, please. Like the name of your team, btw. Do they sell crab in the stands? ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/14 "2009-06-29T16:01:31Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Send some cold south, please. > > Like the name of your team, btw. Do they sell crab in the stands? If you’ll take the #$#@! rain with you then you can have the cold. Yesterday was the first day since 5/30 that it hasn’t rained in my town for at least part of the day. My daughter started playing softball at the end of May, and has had a grand total of 2 practices and a game because of the rain. And they don’t sell crab, that I know of. Nor do they wear blue. Nor is their mascot a crab. I was a bit surprised by all of that myself. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/15 "2009-06-29T16:04:49Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I didn’t realize it was still in practice, but it used to be common for minor league twi-night double headers to end after seven innings. The first game would go nine full innings and then the second would end after seven. > > I was never sure of the reasoning behind it, but I’ve seen it happen several times. I saw this in AAA a few years ago. Kind of surprised me at the time, too. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/16 "2009-06-29T17:20:08Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > You weren’t standing on your head by any chance, were you? > > It’s happened to me. Believe it or not, I just got this. I was baffled for quite a while after you posted it. And, no, I wasn’t standing on my head 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/17 "2009-06-29T18:01:34Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > If it was curfew, yeah, it’d be over as long as 5 innings are complete (or 4 1/2 if the home team is ahead). Nope. MLB games interrupted by curfew are suspended games and are completed at a later date. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/18 "2009-06-29T18:08:46Z")
nevermind. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/19 "2009-06-30T10:12:10Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I didn’t realize it was still in practice, but it used to be common for minor league twi-night double headers to end after seven innings. The first game would go nine full innings and then the second would end after seven. > > I was never sure of the reasoning behind it, but I’ve seen it happen several times. I haven’t been to a AAA doubleheader in years, but I remember games going only 7 innings each with a 5 PM first pitch. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342/20 "2009-06-30T13:19:50Z")
I was pretty surprised when I went to an Edmonton Trappers doubleheader and Game 1 ended after seven innings. It’s weird, but there it is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-inning-ballgame-what-did-i-miss/501342.md?page=2)