Dropped 3rd strike

[Guest Ben]

Bases loaded; 2 outs; batter swings and misses for strike 3. It's a passed ball; runner from 3rd scores clearly before catcher throws to first for put-out/3rd out. Does the run count?

[scrounge]

No, regardless of when the runner from 3rd crosses the plate, if the batter/runner is put out before achieving 1st base, no run can score. Same answer if the catcher had thrown to 3B or 2B to put out the forced runners before they achieved the base to which they were forced to advance.

[maven]

No. When the BR is retired for the 3rd out before touching 1B, no run can score. There are no exceptions.

[noumpere]

14 hours ago, Guest Ben said:

Bases loaded; 2 outs; batter swings and misses for strike 3. It's a passed ball; runner from 3rd scores clearly before catcher throws to first for put-out/3rd out. Does the run count?

You already know (assumption) that if the batter hits the ball and is thrown out at first after R3 scores, the run does not count.

Your play is the same -- the batter is out before reaching first.  It might look a little different, but it's the same.  (And, I understand the confusion, because there are some plays the might look (almost) the same, but are treated differently.  That's what makes this such an interesting sport to officiate.)

 

Here's the official rule (emphasis added) from OBR,-- all codes are the same for this rule:

5.08 How a Team Scores
(a) One run shall be scored each time a runner legally advances to
and touches first, second, third and home base before three men
are put out to end the inning.
EXCEPTION: A run is not scored if the runner
advances to home base during a play in which the third
out is made (1) by the batter-runner before he touches
first base; (2) by any runner being forced out; or (3) by
a preceding runner who is declared out because he
failed to touch one of the bases.

[CJK]

I'll add that the run wouldn't score even if the defense played on R3 at home, R3 was ruled safe, and then B/R was retired before reaching first (whether by tagging the base or the runner).

This twist isn't even all that common at lower levels, when the batter hears 3 coaches, 25 parents, and a half dozen grandparents all start hollering, sees R3 coming, and jumps back out of the way.  The defense may try to make the play at home on auto-pilot, and once the dust clears, it dawns on somebody that B/R is still standing there, so F2 makes a tag.  B/R out, and no run scored, even though R3 was explicitly called safe!