Boneheaded Play Leads to Minor Leaguer Hitting the All-Too-Rare Infield Triple
The triple is one of the most exciting and unheralded hits in baseball. Until now.
Randy Arozarena, of the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, hit an infield fly during a game against the Midland RockHounds on Thursday night that, by all accounts, should have been easy out. The third baseman, shortstop, second baseman and first baseman all converged near the pitcher's mound, while the pitcher darted away from the ball on the first base side to stay out of harm's way.
So, you've got four guys under one ball and you know what happens next, right? Yup, ball the falls to the ground. That's bad enough, but what's worse is that since all the infielders were near the ball, no one was covering any bases, enabling a hustling Arozarena to dash all the way to third.
It's a touch of Little League in a minor league game made by players desperate to play in the majors.
The play proved crucial, since Arozarena would later score to tie the game at 1. The Cardinals would then win on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.