Phils’ rare feat caps Pedro’s win in N.Y. return
Victory ends with Bruntlett’s unassisted triple play, 15th in MLB history
 Henny Ray Abrams / AP Philadelphia second baseman Eric Bruntlett, right, celebrates with teammate Jimmy Rollins after completing an unassisted triple play against the Mets. It was the 15th unassisted triple play in baseball history. |
 |
Latest tweets from the HBT guys
|
For more MLB musings, check out Hardball Talk. |
 | Video: Baseball from NBC Sports |
 Manuel praises Halladay Jan. 27: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel thinks Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in the league and says it would have been nice to have him in his pitching rotation this upcoming year. |
NEW YORK - It happened so fast, Eric Bruntlett needed a few moments before he realized he had just ended a game with an unassisted triple play.
Bruntlett became the second player in major league history to get the final three outs on his own, accomplishing the feat Sunday to preserve the Philadelphia Phillies’ 9-7 victory over the New York Mets.
“I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t know what to do,” Bruntlett said. “The ninth inning was wild. The whole game it seemed was strange.”
Indeed, it was a stunning end to a crazy game that included an inside-the-park homer after the ball got stuck under the outfield wall.
Bruntlett turned the 15th unassisted triple play in big league history — the second that ended a game. Detroit Tigers first baseman Johnny Neun also turned the trick on May 31, 1927, completing a 1-0 victory over Cleveland, according to STATS LLC.
The amazing final sequence made a winner of Pedro Martinez in his return to New York and quashed a Mets rally against closer Brad Lidge.
“We picked a good time,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
With runners on first and second in the ninth inning and a run already in, Jeff Francoeur hit a line drive up the middle that appeared headed toward center field for a single. But both runners were stealing on the 2-2 pitch, so Bruntlett was in perfect position as he moved over to cover second base.
He caught the liner easily, stepped on second to double up Luis Castillo and then turned to tag Daniel Murphy for the third out. Murphy tried to backpedal away from Bruntlett, but had nowhere to go.
“Frenchy hit it on the screws,” Murphy said. “It happened so fast there was nothing I could do.”
After bolting out of the box, a frustrated Francoeur stopped in his tracks and threw down his helmet with both hands.
“What a bizarre ending. I don’t know what happened there. The game’s over, so I’m happy with that,” Lidge said. “That was pretty exciting. That’s definitely not the way you draw it up.”
The Phillies raced onto the field to congratulate Bruntlett after his rare play secured Lidge’s 25th save in 33 chances.
It was the first unassisted triple play since Cleveland second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned one in the fifth inning on May 12, 2008, against Toronto.
Bruntlett, who made one of two Phillies errors earlier in the inning, started at second because All-Star Chase Utley was rested.
Another Phillies second baseman, Mickey Morandini, turned an unassisted triple play in 1992.
It was the first time the Mets were involved in such a play.
“Even with the runners going I did not expect him to be there. The only place he could catch the ball was where he was,” Francoeur said. “To end the way it did was a little disheartening.”
|
Angel Pagan hit the inside-the-park shot and added another homer for the Mets, handed yet another befuddling defeat. New York has found improbable ways to lose all year: Murphy dropped a fly ball in left field, Ryan Church missed third base while rounding the bag, Castillo flubbed Alex Rodriguez’s ninth-inning popup at Yankee Stadium.
Of the 15 unassisted triple plays in big league history, all but one came during the regular season. Cleveland second baseman Bill Wambsganss accomplished the feat in the 1920 World Series against Brooklyn.
Martinez batted before throwing a pitch. The Phillies scored six times in the first inning off Oliver Perez on three-run homers by Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
LowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM BASEBALL |
 Baseball Section Front |
| Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links