The shortest timed baseball game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history that went 9 innings was played on September 28, 1919, between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies. The game lasted just 51 minutes, with the Giants winning 6-1.
This game is notable not only for its brief duration, but also for the fact that it featured only four hits and one error between the two teams. The quick pace of the game was attributed in part to the effective pitching of Giants starter Jesse Barnes, who threw a complete game and allowed just one run on four hits.
While the 51-minute game between the Giants and Phillies is the shortest timed 9-inning game in MLB history, there have been other games that have been completed in similarly brief times. In general, games that feature strong pitching, efficient defense, and minimal scoring tend to be completed more quickly than games with high-scoring offenses and prolonged innings.
