Phillies turn rare triple play off a broken bat early in matchup with Tigers

The Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a rare feat on Monday night in Detroit — thanks in part to a rough error on the part of the Tigers.

The Phillies turned a triple play in the third inning of their matchup against the Tigers at Comerica Park, which marked the first successful triple play anywhere in the league so far this season. It was also the first triple play the Phillies had turned since 2017, and the first 1-3-5 triple play in Major League Baseball since 1929, according to The Athletic's Jayson Stark. Remarkably, that triple play was also made by the Tigers in Detroit.

With the Phillies up 4-0, Detroit’s Matt Vierling hit a line drive right to Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola after breaking his bat. After successfully making the catch to record the first out, Nola tossed the ball over to first to get catcher Carson Kelly out after he had already bolted toward second.

Then, with plenty of time to spare, the Phillies threw it over to third base to complete the final out of the inning as shortstop Zach McKinstry had already sprinted past home. It appeared as if McKinstry didn't realize what had happened, as he was well past home plate before the Phillies even threw it to third base.

So just like that, the Tigers blew a great opportunity to get on the board.

The Phillies jumped up to a 4-0 lead almost instantly on Monday night to open the three-game series against the Tigers. Bryce Harper hit a two-RBI double to kick things off in the first inning, and then Alec Bohm followed suit with a two-run homer. That four-run lead carried into the fifth inning.

The Phillies entered Monday night with a 51-26 record, which has them leading the NL East by seven full games. The Tigers, on the other hand, trail the Cleveland Guardians by 14 games and sit in fourth in the AL Central.

This post will be updated with more information shortly.