What is a sacrifice fly?

A sacrifice fly, also known as a sac fly, is a play in baseball where a batter hits a fly ball that is caught by a fielder, but allows a runner on base to advance or score. The batter is credited with a sacrifice fly, which does not count as an official at-bat but does count as a plate appearance.

In order for a sacrifice fly to be recorded, there must be at least one out in the inning and the runner must score as a result of the fly ball. If the runner advances without scoring, it is not considered a sacrifice fly.

Sacrifice flies are often used strategically in baseball to advance runners and potentially score runs. They are commonly seen in situations with a runner on third base and less than two outs, as a well-hit fly ball can often drive in the run even if the batter is retired.

Sacrifice flies are recorded in a team's statistics and can be an important part of a team's offensive strategy.