The Atlanta Braves Do Something Incredible That Has Not Been Done Since 1884
The Atlanta Braves may have lost their game on Tuesday July 25th by a score of 7-1 against the Boston Red Sox, but the night will be remembered for something else. The Braves turned the first triple play in the entire league this season. More remarkably, the 8-3-5 play was just the second of it's kind in MLB history.
How Did The Braves Do It?
The play happened in the bottom of the third at Fenway Park with the Red Sox up 2-1. Atlanta's center fielder Michael Harris II caught a shallow fly ball from Triston Casas and threw to first after Adam Duvall had made his way nearly to second base and could not get back to first.
The throw easily got Duvall. First baseman Matt Olson then alertly fired the ball across the diamond to third baseman Austin Riley to get Masataka Yoshida after he tagged up and attempted to advance on Duvall's base running mistake.
Center fielder to first baseman, to third baseman, goes in the scoring books officially as 8-3-5, which is incredibly rare. The last time it happened was in 1884 when the Boston Beaneaters turned the play against the Providence Grays. That Beaneaters team was founded in 1871 as the Boston Braves, moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and became the Atlanta Braves in 1965 where they have remained ever since. This means that the Braves franchise can say it has turned the only two 8-3-5 triple plays in MLB history.
With the loss, the Braves record is now 64-35, which is still the best in baseball. Atlanta is a comfortable 11 games up over second place in the National League East Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta plays Boston one more time tonight before a three game series at home against the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers.
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