Angels Turn First Triple Play in 26 Years During 9th Inning Against Rays

Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Los Angeles Angels converted a triple play for the first time in 26 years, in the ninth inning.

The triple play helped the Angels maintain a 6-6 stalemate entering the bottom of the ninth inning of a 9-6 loss in 10 innings.

With runners at the corners and a shallow infield, Harold Ramirez grounded the ball to Luis Rengifo. Randy Arozarena was retrieved by the shortstop’s throw to second baseman Brandon Drury, who then threw to first baseman Nolan Schanuel.

Yandy Diaz was at third when the ball was struck, but he did not advance. He waited until Drury threw to first before attempting to score, but Schanuel made a perfect throw to catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who tagged out Diaz with a tag on his left shoulder before he could reach home.

O’Hoppe and pitcher Carlos Estevez both celebrated the completion of the triple play. It marked the seventh triple play in Angels’ history and the first since Seattle on July 5, 1997.

Schanuel was making his major league debut, whereas O’Hoppe was playing his first game in nearly four months after sustaining a torn left labrum. Schanuel was selected eleventh overall in the amateur draft last month. It’s the quickest promotion of a draft selection to the major leagues since Chris Sale in 2010 with the Chicago White Sox.

Diaz and Arozarena initiated the inning with consecutive base hits for Tampa Bay.