How to read a baseball box score

The line score: runs, hits and errors by inning

The line score sits at the top. Each row is a team, each column an inning, and the three boxes on the right are the totals: R (runs), H (hits) and E (errors).

The visiting team is listed first and bats first in every inning. Here the Bandits won 4–1 in a six-inning game. Notice the Scorpions committed two errors; that matters later when we separate runs from earned runs.

Batting lines: what each column means

Each batter gets a row. Players are listed in batting order, with their position next to the name.

AB: at-bats

Plate appearances that count toward batting average. Walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies do not count as at-bats.

R: runs scored

Times this player crossed home plate.

H: hits

Singles, doubles, triples and home runs. Reaching on an error is not a hit.

RBI: runs batted in

Runs that scored because of this batter's plate appearance. Generally not credited on a double play or when the run scores on an error.

BB: walks

Four balls. The batter takes first base.

SO (or K): strikeouts

Three strikes. Some box scores also add HBP (hit by pitch), SB (stolen bases) and extra-base hit columns.

Below the table, box scores usually list extras as short notes: 2B (doubles), 3B (triples), HR (home runs), SB (stolen bases), E (errors), DP (double plays) and LOB (runners left on base). For more on any abbreviation, see our baseball stats glossary.

Pitching lines: IP, H, R, ER, BB, SO

IP: innings pitched

Written in thirds, not decimals. 5.1 means five and one-third innings (16 outs); 5.2 means five and two-thirds.

R vs. ER: runs and earned runs

Every run the pitcher allowed counts as an R. An earned run is one that scored without help from an error or passed ball. If a defender's mistake kept an inning alive, runs scoring afterward may be unearned. This is why pitchers are judged on ERA, not total runs.

Pitches (or P-S)

Total pitches thrown, sometimes shown as pitches-strikes (for example 68-44). Youth leagues rely on this number for rest rules, so it is worth reading carefully. See our arm care guide.

W, L, SV: decisions

The pitcher credited with the win (W), loss (L) or save (SV). The rules for decisions differ between leagues, especially in youth ball where innings and pitcher limits vary.

How to read a whole game in 60 seconds

1. Start with the line score. Who won, by how much, and in which innings did the scoring happen?
2. Scan hits vs. runs. Many hits but few runs usually means runners were stranded. Check LOB.
3. Look at errors. A team's errors explain unearned runs and long innings.
4. Find the standout batters. Look for multi-hit games and RBI.
5. Check the pitcher. Innings, strikeouts, walks and total pitches tell you how the game was controlled.

Common mix-ups

• "5.2 innings" is not five and a fifth. The number after the dot is outs (thirds of an inning).
• A walk is not an at-bat. It does not lower a batter's average, but it does help on-base percentage.
• R and RBI are different. A batter can score without driving anyone in, and drive in runs without scoring.
• Total runs are not earned runs. Errors change the pitcher's ERA, not the final score.

Scoring your child's games? Our guide to keeping score shows how those numbers get recorded in the first place.