White Sox get weird and twisty to pull off this historic triple play
The Chicago White Sox pulled off the first triple play of the MLB season against the Texas Rangers in a weird and twisty fashion Friday night.
The bases were loaded with no outs at the top of the seventh inning when Texas' Mitch Moreland hit a line drive into right field and Adam Eaton ran for the catch. Eaton then threw to first baseman Jose Abreu, who scrambled to tag out Ian Desmond.
White Sox 1B Jose Abreu (front left) tags out Rangers' Ian Desmond for the second out.
Abreu then threw to catcher Dioner Navarro, who saw Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder hovering around third and threw to Tyler Saladino.
Saladino made chase after Beltre, then saw Fielder taking off from third and threw back home, sending Fielder running back to third. Catcher Saladino then threw to third baseman Todd Frazier, who ultimately chased down and tagged out Fielder.
It was a mobius strip of a play, and one which SABR is calling the first 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play in MLB history.
"Besides marrying my wife and the birth of my kid, that's high up there," Eaton said, smiling. "I've never had that much fun on a ballfield."
This was the first triple play for the White Sox since Sept. 18, 2006 against Detroit, the Associated Press reports. The last time Texas suffered a triple play was June 1, 1991 at the hands of the Seattle Mariners.
The White Sox tied the Rangers in knots and ultimately blanked them at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, 5-0.
"A lot of mistakes," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "I think all the runners on that play, we were screwed up. Just awful base running by everybody."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
