Shouldn't there be a full stop rather than a comma after “explained”? Mother Bat says two sentences the first of which ends there, and the next word is capitalised. ☺

I'm not sure. I think both might be correct?

https://www.kibin.com/essay-wri...e-in-an-essay/
Rule 6: If a quoted sentence is broken up, put commas after the first part of the sentence, and after said, asked, exclaimed, etc.

“No,” she said, “I don’t have any plans tomorrow.”

I think you would put a comma in that specific example because there would be one if you just looked at the quoted sentence by itself: “No, I don't have any plans tomorrow.” However, if the “said” part comes at the end of a full sentence, a full stop would seem the right choice.

Two sentences: No, I don’t have any plans tomorrow. Let’s go somewhere.
Full stop: “No, I don’t have any plans tomorrow,” she said. “Let’s go somewhere.”
Comma: “No,” she said, “I don’t have any plans tomorrow. Let’s go somewhere.”

What do you think? I probably shouldn't comment on English sentences at all.

OK. I found this on "dummies.com" http://www.dummies.com/educatio...in-statements/ :

"When you plop a speaker tag right in the middle of someone’s conversation, make sure that you don’t create a run-on sentence:

Wrong: “When you move a piano, you must be careful,” squeaked Al, “I could have been killed.”

Right: “When you move a piano, you must be careful,” squeaked Al. “I could have been killed.”"

http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.c...psect8&info0=8

"In a narrower sense governments are becoming increasingly worried about large spending deficits," the Minister added in her report. "The chances of still higher deficits, as tax revenues falter and spending pressures mount in a weak economy, are very great."