In the play where the runner from third attempts to steal home and the batter interferes, what is the ruling?

• A. The runner is out.
• B. The batter is out.
• C. Both runner and batter are out.
• D. The result of the play will stand.

Answer: (A)

When a runner is trying to score and the batter interferes with the defense during that plate play, the call is that the runner is out. The interference blocks the defense from making a proper play at the plate, the ball is dead at the moment of the interference, and the runner is ruled out. This prevents the run from counting and focuses the out on the baserunner’s attempt being thwarted by illegal contact.

Put simply, the batter’s action in this scenario isn’t punished by an out on the batter; rather, the runner’s chance to score is erased by the interference, so the correct ruling is the runner is out. The batter would only be ruled out for batter interference in a different context (such as on a batted ball), not in this plate-imping situation.