Definition

Noun: A baseball game in which the pitcher for one team permits batters from the opposing team to achieve exactly four hits (safe bases reached by batting the ball).

Usage

This is a specific statistical term used in baseball reporting and analysis. It describes the quality of a pitcher's performance in a single, complete game from a defensive perspective. It is typically used in sports journalism, game summaries, and player statistics.

Examples

• The rookie pitcher celebrated his first career complete game, a brilliant four-hitter.
• Despite the loss, the starting pitcher delivered a solid four-hitter over eight innings.
• The headline read: "Smith's Four-Hitter Leads Tigers to Victory."

Advanced Usage

• The term is often modified by adjectives describing the quality of the performance (e.g., , ).
• It can be part of a longer description:

Variants and Related Words

• No-hitter: A game in which a pitcher allows zero hits.
• One-hitter: A game in which a pitcher allows one hit.
• Two-hitter: A game in which a pitcher allows two hits.
• Three-hitter: A game in which a pitcher allows three hits.
• Complete game: A game where a pitcher pitches the entire game for his team.

Synonyms

• Four-hit game: A less common but synonymous phrasing.

Notes

This is a compound noun formed from "four" + "hitter." Its meaning is entirely specific to the sport of baseball. The focus is on the pitcher's accomplishment in limiting hits, not necessarily on the game's outcome (a team can win or lose a four-hitter).

Noun

1. a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team 4 hits