The MLB Extends The Sale of Beer

Major League Baseball games are moving much faster thanks to the pitch clock. Additionally, fans will have less time to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.

Several teams have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, and Milwaukee Brewers. Miami Marlins and New York Mets still have seventh-inning cutoffs, but haven't ruled out changing them.

Due to a series of rule changes, particularly the new pitch clock, MLB games have been considerably shorter this season. The average game time has decreased by 31 minutes through the first 1 1/2 weeks of the season, the lowest since 1984.

It is not regulated by MLB when teams sell alcohol. At least partly to avoid overserving customers who could then get in their cars and drive home, most franchises use the seventh inning as a cutoff. Even though concession stands stopped serving alcohol after the seventh, most teams already had areas around the ballpark where fans could get alcohol. Booze is still flowing in many parks that are connected to restaurants or have VIP areas.

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