Phils top Mets 9-7 after unassisted triple play (15th unassisted triple play in history)

Breitbart (AP) ^ | August 23, 2009 | Howie Rumberg

[Cheap_Hessian]

NEW YORK (AP) - Second baseman Eric Bruntlett turned an unassisted triple play to end the Philadelphia Phillies' wild 9-7 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday. It was the 15th unassisted triple play in major league history—the second that ended a game. Detroit Tigers first baseman Johnny Neun also accomplished the feat on May 31, 1927, completing a 1-0 victory over Cleveland, according to STATS LLC.

Bruntlett's triple play preserved a win for Pedro Martinez in his return to New York and quashed a Mets rally against closer Brad Lidge.

With runners on first and second in the ninth inning, Jeff Francoeur hit a line drive up the middle that appeared headed toward center field for a single. But both runners were stealing on the pitch, so Bruntlett was in perfect position as he moved over to cover second base.

He caught the liner easily, stepped on second to double up Luis Castillo and then turned to tag Daniel Murphy for the third out. Murphy tried to backpedal away from Bruntlett, but had nowhere to go.

[trumandogz]

The Dream of every man who as every played Second Base.

[Tallguy]

Weird game. The Mets had an inside the park homer. And Bruntlet comitted an error that he later erased with his unassisted triple play. Strange!

[ebshumidors]

My son did that two years ago in coach pitch and ended the game with a walk off grand slam. True.

[Cheap_Hessian]

That’s pretty impressive.

[SMCC1]

Watching that game, I was confused there at the end.

[ebshumidors]

We were confused too. A lot of, “Was that a triple play?”

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I saw a triple play in a braves-padres game a few years ago.

[GLDNGUN]

I once heard of a triple play in which NO defensive player was involved at all - not even 1. If 1 defensive player being reponsible for all 3 putouts on a triple play is called an "unassisted" triple play, I'm not sure what you would call it with NO defensive players involved.

Anyway, any guesses on how you could have a triple play with NO defensive players involved?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Speaking of the Braves, there was one Braves game when the announcer (forgot his name) literally called a double-play out of thin air. I mean, he mentioned the very next play was going to be a 2-3-2 double play (or something like that) and it actually happened the next play.

[MindBender26]

No defense player? How?

[GLDNGUN]

No defense player? How?

Yes, a ream "mindbender" isn't it? Anyone have a guess how it could be done? We have some pretty sharp Freepers here. I'd be surprised if nobody else could come up with it. I know of only 1 way, but it may be possible there are others.

[fatima]

OK,here’s my husbands guess.Guy hits homerun and passes 2 runners-he’s out and the runners are out.

[garv]

I don't believe it's ever happened, but it is theoretically possible. If the bases were loaded and a batted ball was put in play and the runner from second, the runner from first and the batter all passed the runner from third before he reached home it would result in three outs without a defensive player ever having to touch the ball.

I'd also like to add that as a lifelong, die hard Mets fan that play was a perfect microcosm of this season.

[mom-7]

Bless our Phillies.

[Fresh Wind]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ett4pkfIMM

[GLDNGUN]

Well, yes, if 3 runners passed 1 in front of them, they would all 3 be out. Unlikely, but as you said theoritically possible.

Here's how the 1 heard about goes:

Runners on 1st and 2nd (0 outs obviously). It's a hit-and-run, so runners are off with the pitch. The batter swings and pops the ball up in the infield between 2nd and 3rd. The umpire calls the infield fly rule, which means the batter is automatically out (out #1) and runners advance at their own risk (they have to treat it like the ball will be caught since even if it isn't the same rules are in effect as if it was). The runner that had been on 2nd and running to 3rd with the pitch does the right thing and immediately turns around and heads back to 2nd base when the ump calls "INFIELD FLY RULE!"; however, the numbskull that was on 1st just kept on running. Either he didn't hear the ump or didn't know what it meant, so he kept on running the bases, passed 2nd and then passed the runner in front of him trying to get back to 2nd. Of course the ump then called the runner from 1st out since he passed a runner in front of him (out #2).

You want to guess what happened to the lone remaining runner who was trying to get back to 2nd base? Yep, you guessed it - before he steps on the bag, the pop-fly hits him on the head before it's touched by an infielder. Any runner off base hit by a batted ball is OUT (out #3).

[JerseyJohn61]

“The Dream of every man who has ever played second base.

Back in little League I may a similar play. There was
already one out, so i simply had to step on second to
end the inning.

JJ61

[JerseyJohn61]

BIG MET FAN HERE.

That play symbolized the entire season: SNAKEBIT!

JJ61

[MindBender26]

Good video

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200908236256159&c_id=phi