Watch: The First Triple Play of the MLB Season Didn't Disappoint
The Chicago White Sox accomplished a few rare feats in their 9-4 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
For starters, they turned the first triple play of the 2019 MLB season, as CBS Sports pointed out.
They also had a grand slam courtesy of Charlie Tilson, who broke the game open in the sixth inning with a bases-loaded bomb.
With the grand slam and the triple play, the White Sox became just the fourth club in the past four decades to accomplish both rare feats in the same game, MLB.com reported.
The others, according to MLB.com, are the 2017 Tigers, the 2002 Mets and the 1979 Blue Jays.
The 5-4-3 triple play happened in the bottom of the third inning, when Houston’s Jake Marisnick ripped a ground ball down the third-base line with runners on first and second.
Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada scooped the ball up and touched third to get Tony Kemp out on the force play.
Yoán to Yolmer to José to dugout.
Triple plays don’t get much smoother than this! pic.twitter.com/BuK9HXyZim
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 23, 2019
Moncada then threw the ball to second baseman Yolmer Sanchez, who took the low throw before turning and firing to a stretching Jose Abreu at first in time to get Marisnick out and complete the triple play.
“I moved closer to the base right before that pitch because I knew he’s a pull hitter,” Moncada said after the win, according to MLB.com.
“And he hit the ball hard. When he hit the ball, I just reacted.”
It was the first triple play the White Sox had turned since July 8, 2016, against the Braves.
“There’s a lot of things that have to go well for that to occur,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
“You have to be well within range of that bag and be able to release it. They got it out of their gloves, getting it in and out quickly. Marisnick’s fleet of foot. Everything had to be perfect.”
Three innings later, Tilson drove a Josh James pitch into the right-field seats for a grand slam that gave the Sox an insurmountable 8-3 lead.
It was the 26-year old’s first MLB home run.
“It was a big win for us,” Tilson said. “It’s an exciting night all around.”
And that’s a GRAND SLAM! ? Let’s Go #WhiteSox ! pic.twitter.com/PwCOutloVA
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) May 23, 2019
It was indeed a big night for the White Sox, as they beat one of the best teams in all of baseball.
Houston had won 12 of their last 13 games and 15 of their previous 17.
They had the best record in baseball at 32-16 before the loss to the White Sox.
For the Sox, who improved to 22-26, just beating the Astros might have been the most impressive feat of all.
White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez had himself a night too, hitting two home runs.
Sox starter Ivan Nova tossed seven solid innings, giving up three earned runs, and got the win.
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