How to Read a Baseball Scoreboard
In this article
A baseball scoreboard shows four main things: runs scored in each inning (the line score), each team's total runs, hits and errors (R H E), the count of balls, strikes and outs, and information about the current batter and pitcher. The diagram above shows a finished game: Home 5, Visitors 3.
The line score
The grid across the top is the line score:
- The visiting team is on top because it bats first; the home team is on the bottom.
- Columns 1 to 9 show runs scored in each inning. Extra innings add more columns.
- A 0 means the team batted but didn't score. A blank means that inning hasn't happened yet.
- An X in the bottom of the ninth means the home team was ahead and didn't need to bat.
R, H and E
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Total runs: whoever has more at the end wins |
| H | Total hits |
| E | Errors committed by that team's fielders |
Note that the E column shows errors the team made, not errors that helped it. See what counts as an error.
Balls, strikes and outs
- B (balls): 0 to 3. A fourth ball is a walk.
- S (strikes): 0 to 2. A third strike is a strikeout.
- O (outs): 0 to 2 in the current half-inning. The third out ends it.
So "2-1, one out" means two balls, one strike, one out. See full count and 3-0 count for the counts that matter most.
Other things on modern scoreboards
- Inning indicator: an arrow or "TOP"/"BOT" shows which half is being played.
- Batter info: the hitter's number, batting average, home runs and RBIs.
- Pitch speed (MPH) and pitch count for the pitcher.
- Pitch clock countdown in MLB and many minor league parks. See pitch clock.
- Out-of-town scores from other games, handy during a pennant race.
Box score vs. scoreboard
The scoreboard shows the game as it happens. A box score, in a newspaper or app, adds every player's stats: at-bats, hits, runs, RBIs, walks (BB), strikeouts and the pitchers' lines.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What do R, H and E mean on a baseball scoreboard?
R is total runs, H is total hits and E is total errors committed by that team's fielders.
Which team is on top of a baseball scoreboard?
The visiting team is listed on top because it bats first. The home team is on the bottom.
What does an X mean on a scoreboard?
An X in the bottom of the ninth means the home team was ahead and didn't need to bat. Some scoreboards leave the box blank instead.
What do B, S and O mean?
Balls, strikes and outs. The count shows balls and strikes on the current batter, and O shows outs in the current half-inning.
