aling ▁third ▁bar ring ▁a ▁mistake ▁by ▁the ▁catch er ▁or ▁the ▁third ▁bas eman . ▁ ▁The ▁pitch out ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁against ▁the ▁hit ▁and ▁run . ▁As ▁the ▁pitch ▁is ▁unh itt able , ▁the ▁runner ▁will ▁have ▁to ▁attempt ▁a ▁straight ▁ste al ▁against ▁a ▁prepared ▁catch er . ▁ ▁On ▁a ▁suic ide ▁s que e ze ▁play , ▁when ▁the ▁runner ▁is ▁already ▁running ▁from ▁third ▁once ▁the ▁pitch ▁has ▁been ▁thrown , ▁a ▁pitch out ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁batter ▁from ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁b unt ▁the ▁ball , ▁allowing ▁the ▁catch er ▁to ▁tag ▁the ▁runner ▁trying ▁to ▁score . ▁ ▁P itch outs ▁have ▁become ▁less ▁frequent ▁in ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁games ▁than ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁before ; ▁sab erm etr icians ▁have ▁question ed ▁their ▁effect iveness . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁pitch outs ▁could ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁ 8 ▁ML B ▁games ▁out ▁of ▁every ▁ 1 0 ▁on ▁average ; ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁that ▁figure ▁has ▁fallen ▁to ▁ 1 ▁out ▁of ▁every ▁ 1 0 . ▁ ▁While ▁pitch outs ▁do ▁help ▁catch ▁ste aling ▁run ners ▁- ▁the ▁rate ▁caught ▁ste aling ▁goes ▁from ▁ 2 7 % ▁on ▁non - p itch outs ▁to ▁ 5 2 % ▁from ▁data ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 5 ▁- ▁ste aling ▁in ▁general ▁is ▁less