Jays' base-running blunders turn into bizarre triple play for M's
The Seattle Mariners turned a Toronto base-running blunder into a unique triple play in the fourth inning Sunday with catcher Mike Zunino recording the final two putouts, and ultimately left home team in position to pull out a dramatic 6-5 win in 10 innings.
With the Blue Jays leading 4-3, Ezequiel Carrera walked to open the fourth and moved to third on Kevin Pillar's single to left.
Ryan Goins bounced out to first baseman Mark Trumbo, with Pillar hung up between first and second. Trumbo threw to shortstop Brad Miller at second, while Carrera broke too far down the line from third.
As Miller ran across the infield toward to pin Carrera between third and home, Pillar continued around toward third base.
Miller threw home to Zunino, who ran Carrera back to third, which already was occupied by Pillar.
Because, by rule, the base belongs to the original runner, Zunino tagged out Pillar. Carrera then stepped off the bag, and he also was tagged out by Zunino to end the inning.
"In that situation, you're told to just tag both guys and let the umpire tell you who's out," Zunino said, "even though Carrera should have been there, and he just sort of stumbled off the bag and I tried to hold the tag on to him."
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons wasn't sure why Carrera came off the bag, but said it was a huge play.
"Any time there are two guys on a base, the guy who was originally there is entitled to it, so Pillar is out and then Carrera comes off the bag ... why? I have no idea. So he's out, too," Gibbons said. "That was a big one. We had a chance for possibly a big inning right there, you know. We had the right guys starting to come up. But, I mean, that's how you lose."
Franklin Gutierrez, who missed all of last season with an arthritic condition in his back, homered with one out in the bottom of the 10th to give Seattle the win, after Nelson Cruz brought the Mariners even at 5-5 in the seventh with his 25th home run, a two-run shot to left off Bo Schultz.
