MLB Teams Extend Alcohol Sales Through Eighth Inning to Combat Shorter Game Times

Major League Baseball (MLB) teams have implemented new regulations for the 2023 season that have shortened the average game time. To combat this time crunch, at least four teams have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers have all confirmed to CNN Sport that they have extended beer sales through the eighth inning.

The Rangers told CNN that, prior to the 2023 season, the team allowed some alcohol sales through the eighth inning but have made it widely available this year. The team is offering in-seat service to everyone which was “done partly in reaction to the pitch clock and the potential of […]”

Tom Lienhardt, who was sipping on a beer Tuesday night before the Brewers-Diamondbacks game at Chase Field, said “Totally makes sense to me.”

Historically, teams have stopped selling alcohol after the seventh inning. The newly introduced pitch clock has dropped the average time of games by about 30 minutes to start the season. Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games.

The extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning is one way teams are attempting to combat the shorter game times. It remains to be seen if this will be a permanent change or if teams will revert back to the traditional seventh inning cutoff.