The Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a rare feat on Monday in Detroit — thanks in part to a rough error on the part of the Tigers.
The Phillies turned a triple play in the third inning of their 8-1 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park, which marked the first successful triple play in the league this season. It was also the first triple play the Phillies had turned since 2017 and the first 1-3-5 triple play in Major League Baseball since 1929, according to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark. Remarkably, that triple play was also made by the Tigers in Detroit.
With the Phillies up 4-0, Detroit’s Matt Vierling hit a line drive right to Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola after breaking his bat. After successfully making the catch to record the first out, Nola tossed the ball to first to get catcher Carson Kelly out after he had already bolted toward second.
Then, with plenty of time to spare, the Phillies threw it to third base to complete the final out of the inning, as shortstop Zach McKinstry had already sprinted home from third. It appeared that McKinstry didn’t realize what had happened, as he was well past home plate before the Phillies even threw to third base.
Just like that, the Tigers blew a great opportunity to get on the board and made some unfortunate history in the process.
The Phillies jumped to a 4-0 lead almost instantly Monday to open the three-game series against the Tigers. Bryce Harper hit a two-RBI double to kick things off in the first, and then Alec Bohm followed with a two-run homer. The Phillies added three more in the sixth inning, when Harper hit a three-run home run, and then Bohm hit an RBI single in the eighth to push them to the seven-run win.
The Phillies have now won three straight and hold a 52-26 record. They entered Monday’s contest with a huge seven-game lead in the NL East standings, too. The Tigers, on the other hand, have lost six of their last eight games and sit in fourth in the AL Central.
