MLB Teams Extend Beer Sales After Pitch Clock Shortens the Game

A shorter MLB game means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.

To combat that time crunch, at least four teams so far— the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers — have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season. Others, like the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, and the Toronto Blue Jays still have seventh-inning cutoffs but haven’t ruled out changes.

The Blue Jays are considering extending beer and alcohol sales into the eighth inning as a response to shortened game times thanks to the introduction of a pitch clock this season.

According to a team source, the Jays are in the evaluation phase starting with this week’s unveiling of renovations at the Rogers Centre, a sprucing up that includes some attractive new bar areas in the stadium’s outfield.

According to the source, it will “expect to make adjustments” over the next few months. With several of the social spaces putting fans — and thus drinkers — far closer to the field — the team wants to make sure there are no booze-related problems before adopting new measures.

Most teams including the Jays currently have a 7th-inning cutoff!

MLB games have been considerably shorter this season, thanks to a series of rule changes, particularly the new pitch clock. Through the first 1 1/2 weeks of the season, the average game time was down 31 minutes, on track to be the sport’s lowest since 1984.