Definition

Noun: - The first half of an inning in baseball or softball: This refers to the period when the visiting team is at bat and the home team is in the field. An inning is divided into two halves: the top (first half) and the bottom (second half).

Usage

This term is used exclusively in the context of baseball and softball to specify which half of an inning is currently being played or being discussed. It denotes the part of the inning where the away team attempts to score runs.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The score was tied at zero after the top of the inning.
  • Our best pitcher managed to strike out three batters in the top of the first.
  • The manager made a strategic substitution during the top of the seventh inning.

Advanced Usage

• Specifying the inning number: The term is almost always used with an ordinal number (e.g., , ) to indicate a specific inning.
  • The crucial error occurred in the top of the eighth.
• "In the top of": A common prepositional phrase used to describe events or the game state during that period.
  • With two outs in the top of the inning, the batter hit a double.

Variants and Related Words

• Bottom of the inning (noun): The second half of an inning, when the home team is at bat.
  • The winning run was scored in the bottom of the ninth.
• Inning (noun): A division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team.
• Half-inning: A more formal term for either the top or the bottom of an inning.

Synonyms

• First half of the inning: A more descriptive synonym.
• Visiting team's at-bat: A phrase describing the same game situation.

Antonyms

• Bottom of the inning: The second half of an inning.

Noun

1. the first half of an inning; while the visiting team is at bat
   • a relief pitcher took over in the top of the fifth