The game score concept expands on Major League Baseball's official definition of a quality start. MLB defines a quality start as six or more innings pitched while allowing three or fewer earned runs. The game score system defines a quality start as a game score at or above 60 hypothetically (50 base + 18 for outs recorded + 4 for the 5th/6th inning - 12 for three earned runs), but as it is rare that an earned run occurs with no walks/hits, the true game score for a baseline quality start would be somewhere between 50-60. Furthermore, the game score rewards pitchers for going deeper into the game, even if they give up more earned runs. A baseline quality start would be lost if, after going into deeper innings than the 6th, a pitcher gives up more earned runs.