Every time you go to the stadium, you might see something you’ve never seen before. And so it was Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field, where fans watched the first 8-5 (center fielder to third baseman) triple play in MLB history. The Minnesota Twins clinched the first triple play of their kind against the native Chicago White Sox in a 6-3 win, although it would be more accurate to say the White Sox ran into the triple play.
AJ Pollock lifted a well-hit flyball to first and second with no outs and runners to Byron Buxton in midfield, and Yoan Moncada and Adam Engel both had a minor misconception on bases after the catch. Here’s the video.
It’s a confusing game, so here’s the breakdown: Buxton’s catch is the first to come out. The second out is Gio Urshela, who tagged Moncada, who was the runner at first base early in the game. The third out is Urshela, who steps onto second base to double Angel. Engel was way out of the frame at the time and somewhere near home plate.
Though the Triple Play is the headliner, take a moment to appreciate Buxton’s catch. It wasn’t an easy game. According to Statcast, Pollock’s engine had an 82 percent hit probability based on launch angle and exit velocity. Buxton is just so good in midfield. Engel said he thought the ball hadn’t been caught, which is why he shot home.
“When he looked at the wall, I thought he was looking for the ball to fall off,” Engel told MLB.com. “I just played a bad game. I made a mistake. Unlucky. It most likely cost us a few runs and probably would have won the game.”
MLB.com and the SABR database confirm this it is, in fact, the first 8-5 triple play in baseball history. By my unofficial tally, this is the 27th triple play started by a midfielder, and the first since Angel Pagan, the former New York Mets midfielder, launched an 8-2-6-3 triple play with one in 2010 started a tight catch against the Washington Nationals.
The Twins have made a habit of spinning triple plays in recent years. Monday was the fourth since 2019. No team has more. The White Sox, meanwhile, have made triple plays in consecutive seasons after failing to make a single from 2011-20.
This is the third triple play this season. The Texas Rangers turned in a 3-6 triple play against the Seattle Mariners on April 20th. and the Nationals turned down a 5-4-3 triple play against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 20.
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