Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Phillies turn extremely rare kind of triple play

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Jun 24, 2024 9:26 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies on Monday turned one of the rarest plays in baseball history.

The Phillies were leading 4-0 against the Detroit Tigers in the bottom of the third inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.

Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling came up to the plate to face Phillies starter Aaron Nola with runners on the corners and nobody out. What initially felt like a golden opportunity for the Tigers to trim the deficit turned into a once-in-a-century highlight for the Phillies.

TRIPLE PLAY pic.twitter.com/eHmPP4ejv6
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 24, 2024

Both baserunners were well off the bag when Vierling softly lined out to Nola on the 0-1 pitch. Nola tossed the ball to first to get Carson Kelly out.

The Phillies were aided by some bad baserunning as Tigers shortstop Zach McKinstry, the man on third, inexplicably ran to home plate. Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper easily threw to third to complete a 1-3-5 triple play.

Triple plays on their own don’t happen very often. But the 1-3-5 variation hasn’t been seen in 95 years, according to Baseball Almanac, as pointed out by Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The last time it happened was during the 1924 season when Babe Ruth had yet to turn 30.

That was the first 1-3-5 triple play in Major League Baseball since July 11, 1929, according to Baseball Almanac. https://t.co/yZ9n5qxE3b

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 24, 2024