The White Sox turned their first triple play in almost 10 years, and if they don’t for another decade, at least the one they executed on Friday will be memorable for a while.
Just how memorable?
“Besides marrying my wife and the birth of my kid, to be honest with you, that's high up there,” said Adam Eaton, who made the first out by catching a liner in right field. “It was unbelievable. I've never had that much fun on a ball field. I'm very confident saying that. I've never had that much fun on a ball field, and it couldn't have happened with a better group of guys.
“I've never been to the playoffs, but I've never had that type of intensity and overall joyfulness out of everybody. It was truly a team effort.”
Here’s how it went down.
The White Sox had a 5-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Jose Quintana was stuck in a jam with the bases loaded. Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland lined out to Eaton in right field, who relayed the throw to Jose Abreu at first, tagging Ian Desmond after multiple attempts.
The White Sox first baseman then hauled the ball over to catcher Dioner Navarro, who threw to shortstop Tyler Saladino, catching Adrian Beltre in a rundown between second and third. Saladino then shifted his attention to Prince Fielder, who was caught and eventually tagged by Todd Frazier between third and home.
MLB
It was listed as a 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play, the first ever according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Five White Sox players were involved, and when the third out was recorded, all nine players were in the infield.
Robin Ventura, who has been a part of a triple play before, hadn’t seen anything quite like this one.
“It's just a great job — great jump by Adam in right field to get it in,” said Ventura. “When you kind of break it back down, it was run perfectly. You get the guy at first base. You get the ball home, get it back to second base and Sal running down and getting it. It's just a heads up play — everybody's pointing and filling in where they're supposed to be filling in.
“They ran it as well as you could and if anybody on the field deserves to have that happen, it's (Quintana). I think that's a good sign. It's something he's earned with what he's been through."
The triple play just about sealed the game for the White Sox in their series opener against the Rangers, who came into Friday's game on a four-game win streak. Quintana's gem powered the White Sox to their 11th win of the season.
The lefthander was glad he got the win, but it was the triple play that was monumental in this game.
"That was fun. That was fun," Quintana said. "We finished the game in the seventh inning, that was fun. I enjoyed this moment.”