The phrase "pinches hit for" is a common expression in baseball to describe when a substitute player replaces another in the lineup. The spelling of this phrase can be explained through the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as: /ˈpɪntʃɪz hɪt fɔːr/. The first syllable "pin-" is pronounced with a short "i" sound, followed by the "ch" sound as in "choose." The "-es" ending is pronounced as a separate syllable with the "ihz" sound. The word "hit" is pronounced with a short "i" sound, and "for" with the "or" sound as in "more."
The term "pinches hit for" is a baseball idiom that refers to a specific situation in which a substitute player is brought into the game to bat in place of the current batter. When a team chooses to utilize a pinch hitter, they do so because they believe this new player may have a better chance of achieving a positive outcome, such as getting a hit or advancing a baserunner.
To elaborate, "pinches hit for" means to replace the current batter with a substitute called a pinch hitter. This typically occurs when the team believes the pinch hitter has a higher likelihood of success in that particular at-bat due to various factors, such as the opposing pitcher's strengths and weaknesses, or the game situation itself (e.g., needing a hit to tie or win the game). The pinch hitter is usually a player who is not in the starting lineup but is selected based on their ability to handle specific pitching situations or exploit certain matchups.
In practice, when a pinch hitter "hits for" another player, they immediately take over the batting duties, inheriting the count or number of strikes and balls that the substituted player had achieved. The outcome of this substitution is intended to maximize the team's offensive potential by replacing a batter who may be struggling or perceived as less effective with a fresh player who is expected to have a higher chance of success in that particular plate appearance.