Major League Baseball teams extend beer sales to eighth inning after pitch clock rule speeds up play

Several Major League Baseball teams are extending the cutoff time for alcohol sales in stadiums, following the league's new pitch clock rule that has shortened the duration of games. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers have so far announced extending beer sales to the eighth inning instead of the seventh, according to the Washington Examiner.

And the Houston Astros announced Thursday the team will sell alcohol at select locations until the end of the game, according to local television station KHOU.

The duration of game being shorter will give vendors less time sell alcohol.

MLB games at the start of the season are so far about 30 minutes shorter than last year's game, the  Associated Press reports.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm doesn't support such changes, over safety concerns.

"The reason we stopped [selling alcohol in] the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct?" Strahm recently said on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast.