passed ball

[ past-bawl ]

/ ˈpæst ˌbɔl /

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noun Baseball.

a pitched ball that the catcher can reasonably be expected to catch but misses, allowing one or more base runners to advance one or more bases.

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Compare wild pitch.

Origin of passed ball

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Words nearby passed ball

passcode, pass degree, passe, passé composé, passed, passed ball, passed pawn, passel, passement, passementerie, passenger

How to use passed ball in a sentence

Among the 299 catchers to log at least 500 innings since 1995, Posey ranks sixth in fewest passed balls per nine innings.
Buster Posey’s Career Was Short But Elite. Will It Land Him In The Hall Of Fame?|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 5, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Contreras raced to third on a passed ball that bounced in front of catcher Yan Gomes and squirted away.
Another intentional walk has disastrous consequences for Nats in 5-3 loss to Braves|Jesse Dougherty|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
Second base available because the passed ball permitted Conteras to advance.
Another intentional walk has disastrous consequences for Nats in 5-3 loss to Braves|Jesse Dougherty|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
The first run scored on a passed ball when catcher Jonathan Lucroy missed a fastball in the zone.
Erick Fedde stumbles early, Nats’ bats fizzle late as Braves complete doubleheader sweep|Jesse Dougherty|April 8, 2021|Washington Post

Neither side was able to tally, although a scratch hit put a Giant on first and a passed ball advanced him to second.
Baseball Joe, Captain of the Team|Lester Chadwick
Willis lined out a single, bringing in Larry and reaching second himself a moment later on a passed ball.
Baseball Joe in the World Series|Lester Chadwick
Buck might have done so, but somehow he "crossed signals" with Jack, the result being a passed ball that let in a score.
Frank Merriwell's Reward|Burt L. Standish
Summervilles first run for four innings was scored a moment later when Bob stole home on a passed ball.
The Arrival of Jimpson|Ralph Henry Barbour
Well, perhaps it did go somewhere near the plate, though to see it coming youd have thought it was going to be a passed ball!
The Arrival of Jimpson|Ralph Henry Barbour