Minnesota Twins turned a unique triple play that had never been seen in MLB history

When a team loses an extra-inning game, it can sometimes look back at a big play or two that tipped the scales in the favor of an opponent.

Such was the case Monday in the Twins’ 6-3 win over the White Sox in 10 innings.

Chicago had runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh inning when left fielder AJ Pollock crushed a ball into the right-center gap. The exit velocity was 101.9 mph and it had an expected batting average of .820.

The score was 2-2 at the time, so it seemed the White Sox were ready to break open the game.

Instead, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton ran down the ball, then hit the wall. Adam Engel took off from second base and Yoán Moncada left first, and only Moncada made an effort to retreat as Buxton’s throw reached the infield.

Twins third baseman Gio Urshela grabbed the ball and tagged Moncada for out No. 2, then stepped on second base to get the third out because Engel never tagged up.

And that’s how you get the very first 8-5 triple play in Major League Baseball history, per the SABR Triple Play Database, which goes back to 1876.

“I don’t know how much more stuff can be a first in MLB history, so at least it was something left for us in the middle age to kind of grab, I guess,” Buxton told MLB.com. “It’s cool. Ain’t too much thought into it other than the triple play got us out of the inning and it kind of got us a little momentum going.”

White Sox manager Tony La Russa told the Chicago Tribune his jaw literally dropped as the play unfolded.

“Never seen one like it,” La Russa told the Tribune. “Potential difference maker at that point. Yoán was really aggressive, which is not the worst thing you can do when you play this game. Judgment was wrong and costly.”