On Monday, the Minnesota Twins turned the second triple play of the season -- exactly two months after the Chicago White Sox converted the first of the year. This time around, the Twins pulled the feat against the New York Yankees in the first inning of their contest, with Edwin Encarnacion doing the honors. Take a look at the play in whole:
🚨 TRIPLE PLAY 🚨 pic.twitter.com/sdm8pfmY5d
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2019
There you see Encarnacion beating the ball into the ground, with third baseman Luis Arraez throwing to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who then completed the transaction by getting the ball to first baseman Miguel Sano. Arraez's throw was … well, the kind you'd expect from someone who typically plays second. But it didn't matter -- not with Encarnacion running.
According to SABR's comprehensive database on the matter, this is the 719th triple play in history. It's also the 13th in Minnesota Twins history. It's the first triple play turned by the Twins since June 1, 2017, when Miguel Sano, Brian Dozier, and Joe Mauer teamed up for their own 5-4-3 triple play -- that came against Jefry Marte and the Los Angeles Angels.
The last time the Yankees hit into a triple play, for those wondering, was nearly two years ago -- on July 25, 2017, when Todd Frazier hit into your garden-variety 6-3-5-6 triple play.
Encarnacion, by the way, hasn't lived up to his billing since joining the Yankees in June. He entered the night hitting .172/.255/.455 in 25 games with the Yankees. The triple play probably won't help his standing in New York.