Earned run

In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable (i.e. the run did not score as a result of a fielding error or a passed ball). If a run is not earned, it is an unearned run. Even if a runner scores on a fielding error by the pitcher himself, it is an unearned run.

Earned runs are specially denoted because of their use in calculating a pitcher's earned run average.

In determining earned runs, the official scorer must reconstruct the inning as it would have occurred without the errors (which include catcher's interference) and passed balls, with the benefit of the doubt always being given to the pitcher in determining which bases would have been reached by errorless play.

See also: Baseball statistics