Giants turn triple play against Padres

Giants turn triple play against Padres
Castillo, Durham, Bowker combine on rare feat in eighth inning
By David Biderman / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- It took Keiichu Yabu one pitch in the eighth inning to induce the Giants' first triple play in nearly a decade.

Yabu entered a 3-3 game against the Padres with runners on first and second and Kevin Kouzmanoff at bat. He threw a first-pitch fastball low and inside that Kouzmanoff grounded to third baseman Jose Castillo. Castillo stepped on third for the first out, threw to second baseman Ray Durham for the second out and Durham finished the rare feat by throwing to first baseman John Bowker.

"It doesn't get bigger than that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's quite a play there."

The Giants didn't reap any momentum from the accomplishment, though, eventually losing, 7-3, in 13 innings.

The mood in the clubhouse afterward was glum, but several players involved in the play acknowledged it's rareness. Alex Hinshaw said he "almost hit my head on the top of the dugout" while watching the play unfold, and San Francisco's starter, Matt Cain, watching from the trainer's room after being relieved, said "it was pretty cool."

Yabu, who had never seen a triple play before, originally "thought double," when the ball was hit. Bowker said "it was unbelievable." But apparently, not unbelievable enough to hold on to the ball. He tossed it to Yabu's translator, Teira Uematsu, who didn't realize which ball it was and subsequently lost track of it.

Legendary shortstop Omar Vizquel had no part in the play, but when he saw Castillo grab the grounder, said to himself, "Whoa, he has a chance for three." The only time Vizquel has been involved in a triple play was when he hit into one himself.

It was the Giants' first triple play since June 14, 1999, at Colorado. In that play, part of a 5-4 defeat, Bill Mueller fielded a grounder and threw to Jeff Kent, who threw to J.T. Snow.

San Francisco's previous home triple play predates their current stadium, AT&T Park. On October 3, 1980, at Candlestick Park, the Giants turned a triple play against, who else, the San Diego Padres, in a 12-0 loss.

The triple play was the second of 2008. Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned an unassisted triple play on May 12 against Toronto -- the 14th such play in Major League history.

The Giants now have seven triple plays in their 50 years on the West Coast. Yabu became the second Japanese pitcher to be on the mound for such a feat, joining Hideo Nomo, who turned the trick on June 16, 1996, against the Braves.

In his at-bat following the triple play, Kouzmanoff laid off a first-pitch fastball from Brian Wilson in the 11th inning but grounded the second pitch to Durham. The second baseman threw to Vizquel, who threw to Bowker to complete a double play. Thus, Kouzmanoff was responsible for five outs on three pitches.

The 5-4-3 TP. I like the 4U TP or the 6U TP better...

bobrob2004 wrote:

The 5-4-3 TP. I like the 4U TP or the 6U TP better...

Still not as good as 8U TP

or even 3U TP (which has happened - by a Tiger in fact!)

Triple Plays Rule!


Wish Tigers turn one this season