Pirates & Orioles Play Without Umpires in 9th Inning

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles played a half inning without MLB umpires present after the officiating crew left the field in the middle of the 9th inning. Why did the umpires leave before the teams called it a day? It all has to do with the Official Baseball Rules.

Pittsburgh held a 7-4 lead over Baltimore in the top of the 9th inning when a groundout resulted in the third out and thus conclusion of the inning's top half.

Under normal circumstances, the third out of the top of the 9th inning when the home team is leading results in the end of the game: "The game ends when the visiting team completes its half of the ninth inning if the home team is ahead" (OBR 7.01(g)(1)). However, Pittsburgh and Baltimore wanted to play out the bottom of the 9th inning to get more field time in during Spring Training. Surely the umpires could have stayed to officiate three more outs, right?

Wrong. Umpires are tasked with enforcing the rules as written, and the rules state the game is over pursuant to OBR 7.01(g)(1)—three outs in the top of the 9th inning when the home team is ahead.

OBR 8.01(a) makes this responsibility clear: "The umpires shall be responsible for the conduct of the game in accordance with these official rules and for maintaining discipline and order on the playing field during the game."

By rule, the game ended after the third out in the top of the 9th inning, meaning the umpires' in-game duties—such as calling balls and strikes, safes and outs, and fairs and fouls—had ended.

Related Post: Cleveland-Giants Play Without Umpires - Scrimmage? (3/14/21).

More a concern at lower levels of play, the concept of officials' liability thus takes center stage. In general, a sports official such as a referee or umpire enjoys certain organizational protections—whether afforded by the league, conference, association, and/or insurance network—throughout the scope of their ordinary duties, which includes adhering to the rules as written.

Any playing action that occurs after the game is considered ended/over pursuant to the rules is thus considered unofficial—a scrimmage, a forfeit, etc. Due to liability—risk of injury, risk of controversy, risk of other damages—sports officials are generally not covered during unsanctioned gameplay, which is what Pittsburgh-Baltimore's bottom of the 9th ultimately was. And for that reason, Chief Chad Fairchild called in his crew and they dutifully left the playing field at the conclusion of the game, as delineated by the rules.

You might also notice that the official scorer likewise recorded this game as final following the top of the ninth inning.

Box: Baltimore Orioles vs Pittsburgh Pirates (Spring Training), 2/28/23 | Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Umps leave mid-9th, leaving teams to play a half inning without umpires (PIT)