Triple play Rangers turned vs. Angels hadn’t been done since 1912. Here’s how they did it
The Los Angeles Angels were on the verge Thursday night of breaking open the opener of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers, but something that hadn’t been done in 106 years prevented it.
The Rangers turned triple play to escape a bases-loaded jam, but it wasn’t just any triple play. It was the first since 1912 in which the batter was not one of the three outs.
“That was pretty cool,” shortstop Elvis Andrus said. “Usually you always get the batter out.”
But Andrus, who was part of the last Rangers triple play nine years ago, didn’t have a hand in triple play turning in the fourth inning behind right-hander Ariel Jurado.
The rookie allowed five first-inning runs and another in the second, and it appeared the Angels would post another big inning after a walk and consecutive singles to start the fourth.
Second baseman David Fletcher hit a low line drive toward third base that skipped into the glove of third baseman Jurickson Profar, who hopped up and touched third base for the first out.
Taylor Ward, who was at third base, was tagged out as he left the base, and Profar threw to second baseman Rougned Odor to get Kole Calhoun coming from first base. It was a force out at second, but Odor also went to tag Calhoun before he stepped out of the base path.
“The only reason I went to tag Calhoun was because Elvis yelled at me,” Odor said. “I don’t know how the umpires saw it, but it was already three outs.”
Score it a 5-4 triple play.
“It was a short hop, and it was so close to my glove maybe they thought I caught it in the air,” Profar said. “Every runner thought it was a line drive, so that’s why we were able to get a triple play.”
Angels manager Mike Scioscia went onto the field and huddled with the umpires to get an explanation. In the end, he did not ask for a video challenge on any of the outs.
“We had to digest it first to see exactly what happened,” Scioscia said. “They tagged the bag and tagged Taylor Ward, and then they went and got Kole at first. It was unusual, but Profar made a great reaction on it, a great play.
The Rangers hadn’t turned a triple play since May 20, 2009, at Detroit. It was the sixth in club history and the only second at Globe Life Park, with the Rangers turning the first April 14, 2002, against Seattle.
But it was the first of its kind, with all three base runners making outs, since June 3, 1912, when the Brooklyn Dodgers pulled the feat against the Cincinnati Reds.
Jurado was the beneficiary. The play allowed him to post four consecutive scoreless innings after allowing six to the first 10 Angels hitters. The Rangers rallied for an 8-6 win.
“It was a play that changed the game,” he said.
This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 8:46 PM.