With the runner from third attempting to steal home, the batter swings and misses and his follow-through contacts the catcher, causing him to drop the ball.

• A. This is follow-through interference on the batter.
• B. With one out, the runner from third is out.
• C. With two outs, the batter is out.
• D. A, B, and C.

Answer: (D)

A batter’s follow-through hitting the catcher in a pitch situation is considered interference by the batter. When that contact disrupts the catcher’s handling of the ball, the play is ruled as batter interference, and the batter is out. The ball is dead at that moment, and runners who were attempting to advance on that play are affected by the dead ball status; in this specific scenario, the runner on third who was trying to steal home is put out as part of the interference play.

Because the batter is out for interference, that out occurs regardless of how many outs there were before the play. If there was one out beforehand, you now have two outs due to the runner being out and the batter being out on the same play. If there were two outs beforehand, the batter’s out would end the inning. That combination is why the result described includes follow-through interference on the batter, a runner-out on the steal attempt, and the batter being out, depending on the prior outs.