How to Read a Baseball Box Score
A line-by-line guide to the box score: the R H E line, batting and pitching lines, the odd .1 and .2 in innings pitched, decisions, and the notes underneath.
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Articles by 4Baseball Staff
The editorial desk at 4Baseball: explainers, guides and data-driven notes for people who follow the game and people who play it.
Moneyline, Run Line and Totals Explained
How baseball's three main markets settle, how American odds convert to implied probability, where the bookmaker's margin sits, and why house rules differ.
How MLB Tiebreakers Work
Game 163 is gone. Here is the ladder of criteria that now settles level finishes in the standings, for two clubs, for three, and for division and Wild Card races.
Magic Numbers Explained
What a magic number counts, the arithmetic behind it, a worked example, and why winning the season series against your closest rival can move the clinch forward.
How the MLB Postseason Works
The 12-team bracket explained. Who qualifies, how the seeds and byes work, what each round is worth, who hosts, and why the bracket never re-seeds.
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