You’d think anything as rare and unlikely as a triple play would include plenty of thrills and chills, possibly one or two spills, even the odd Phil. Back in August the Rangers turned a triple play that could be described as “pretty cool.” Last April the Mariners turned one on a brain goof that a person might reasonably describe as “funny” or “infuriating,” depending upon their rooting interests. As recently as 2017, baseball was giving us triple plays that qualified as “delightful” and “one to remember.” And yet here we have the Chicago White Sox executing the pleated khakis of triple plays against the Astros Wednesday night, a play that cannot credibly be described using any adjectives stronger than “neato.”
Yoan Moncada to Yolmer Sanchez to Jose Abreu, 5–4–3. This was the first triple play of the 2019 season. There were two all of last season. Neato.