The Phillies pulled off the first triple play in the majors this season, Bryce Harper drove in five runs and Philadelphia cruised past the host Detroit Tigers 8-1 on Monday night.
The third-inning triple play was also the first by the Phillies since 2017 and the first 1-3-5 triple play in the majors since 1929.
Harper extended his hitting streak to nine games and his extra-base hitting streak to five games. He had a three-run homer and two doubles. Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm supplied four hits, including a homer and a double, and drove in three runs.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola (9-3), who started the triple play, gave up one run and six hits in seven innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk.
Detroit starter Casey Mize (1-6) allowed four runs, three earned, and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings while recording 10 strikeouts and no walks.
An error aided the Phillies in their four-run first. All the runs scored before Mize recorded an out.
Leadoff man Kyle Schwarber reached on a miscue by his shortstop Zach McKinstry. Trea Turner followed with a double to right.
Harper smacked a double to center, bringing home both runners. Bohm then clubbed his ninth homer to left-center.
Mize settled in after the Phillies’ quick start, striking out two batters in the second and three more in the third.
McKinstry and Carson Kelly began the bottom of the inning with singles to put runners on the corners. Then came the rarest of the baseball plays.
Matt Vierling hit a soft, broken-bat liner that Nola caught. Kelly was doubled off first as McKinstry inexplicably kept running toward home. A throw to third easily completed the triple play.
Philadelphia left two runners in scoring position in the fifth before Detroit got on the board in the bottom of the inning. McKinstry hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Kelly.
The Phillies made it 7-1 against Tyler Holton in the sixth. Cristian Pache and Schwarber walked to set up Harper’s long ball. Harper pulled a changeup over the right field wall for his 19th homer.
Philadelphia tacked on another run on Bohm’s RBI double off Mason Englert in the eighth.
–Field Level Media