Fans watch as the New York Yankees play the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. The game was the final contest for the Rangers of the 2019 season, and the final game at the park for them. The club will play in a new stadium, Globe Life Field, still under construction across the street from the park, in the 2020 season. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The average time of a nine-inning game reached a record length in the major leagues this season.

Major League Baseball said Sunday the final figure for this season was 3 hours, 5 minutes, 35 seconds. That topped the 3:05:11 in 2017.

The average had dropped to 3:00:44 in 2018, helped by new restrictions that cut mound visits without pitching changes.

MLB's average was 2:46 in 2005.

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