Baseball is played between two teams, each consisting of nine players. The game is divided into nine innings, where one team bats while the other plays defense. The objective for the batting team is to hit the ball and run around four bases to score runs. A run is scored when a player successfully reaches home plate after touching all four bases in order. The defensive team tries to get batters out by catching the ball, throwing it to a base before the runner arrives, or striking out the batter. A strike occurs when a batter swings and misses or does not swing at a pitch within the strike zone. The team with the most runs at the end of the nine innings wins the game.