Squeeze play (baseball): Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

In baseball, a squeeze play is a sacrifice play in which the batter bunts the ball, expecting to be easily thrown out at first base, while a runner at third base tries to score on the play.

In a safety squeeze, the runner at third takes off when the batter makes contact, and hopes that the ball will go to a location from which it will be difficult for the fielding team to make a play at the plate. In a suicide squeeze, the runner takes off during the pitch, even before the pitcher has released the ball. This will likely make a play at the plate impossible if the batter makes any kind of contact at all, but it means that the runner will almost certainly be out if the batter fails to make contact. Hence the batter must try to hit the ball, even if the pitch is wildly out of the strike zone, so this play requires a more skilled bunter.

These plays are often used in the late innings of a close game with fewer than two out, in order to force in a winning or tying run.