The correct spelling of the term "earned run" is /ɜːnt rʌn/. The phonetic transcription of this term explains why the word is spelled as it is. The first sound, /ɜː/, represents the vowel sound in "bird" and is followed by the consonant sound /nt/ and the vowel sound /ʌ/ as in "sun." The final sound, /n/, is a nasal consonant that resonates through the nose. In baseball, "earned run" refers to a run scored by the batter without any errors or mistakes by the opposing team.
Earned Run:
Noun
An earned run refers to a scoring method in baseball used to assess the skill and performance of a pitcher. It is defined as a run that is allowed by a pitcher but does not arise from errors made by the defense. When a pitcher surrenders an earned run, it implies that the opposing team has managed to score a run off the pitcher's pitching ability rather than benefiting from any defensive mistakes made by the fielders.
To determine whether a run is earned or not, the official scorer closely examines the play-by-play record and assesses the pitcher's responsibility. Factors such as hits, walks, sacrifices, errors, and stolen bases are analyzed to determine if the run is earned or if it can be attributed to an error made by the defense. Earned runs are seen as a more accurate reflection of a pitcher's performance, as it indicates their ability to prevent batters from scoring without relying on defensive lapses. This statistic is used to evaluate pitchers' effectiveness, compare their performances, and calculate their earned run average (ERA), which represents the average number of earned runs the pitcher allows per nine innings pitched. Pitchers aim to keep their earned runs as low as possible to demonstrate their pitching prowess and contribute to their team's success.