The Rangers escaped a bases-loaded jam Thursday night with a rare triple play, becoming the first major league team in 106 years to pull off the play without retiring the batter. "Profar started the defensive gem at third base and later homered to help the Rangers rally from an early five-run deficit for an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels The fouth-inning play was the third 5-4 triple play in the expansion era (since 1961), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. According to the sports data analytics firm STATS, this was the first triple play since June 3, 1912 (in a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers), where the batter was not also retired during the play. The White Sox did it on Sept. 18, 2006, against the Tigers, and the Phillies did it Sept. 12, 2007, against the Rockies.It was also the first triple play for the Rangers since May 20, 2009, and the sixth in their history.With the bases loaded, David Fletcher hit a low liner toward third that Profar picked on a short hop. Profar stepped on third for a force out and tagged out runner Taylor Ward, who appeared to believe Profar caught the ball in the air and was retreating to the bag. Profar scooped it up, stepped on third base, tagged confused Angels baserunner Taylor Ward and then fired the ball over to Rougned Odor at second for the 5-4 triple play. "It was the majors' first triple play without retiring the batter since June 3, 1912, when the Brooklyn Dodgers turned the trick against the Cincinnati Reds "Yeah, it was kind of confusing the way it happened," Fletcher said.Odor singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth after an out call that would have ended the inning was reversed.
The Texas Rangers pull off a triple play against the Los Angeles Angels without retiring the batter, the first such triple play in MLB since 1912.