Mets-Nats in DC tonight, Angel Pagan hits an inside-the-park homer in the 4th to put the Mets up 1-0. An inning later, Washington has runners on first and second, with no one out. Little flare hit into shallow center, and Angel Pagan is on the spot again, charges in and makes a shoestring catch. Both runners break, thinking it's either a trap or a catch on the hop, and Pagan's throw to the pitcher is then sent on to the shortstop covering 2nd, and from there to 1st. A short umpire consultation later, and it's an 8-2-6-3 triple play, getting the Mets out of an inning.
Now, ESPN already did a little legwork on this for me, in that the last time a team had an inside the park HR, and a triple play in a game was Philadelphia in a game against the NY Giants back in 1955. As in this game, the Phillie who hit the homer also started the TP. They went a step further, and also claim that this Mets play is the first documented 8-2-6-3 Triple Play ever. Which leads me to my question:
The Mets lost the game! So, has THAT ever happened. And, given now that they Mets can get two relatively rare plays in the span of 2 innings and STILL manage to botch things, how much longer is Jerry Manuel going to stay employed, and is he going to get his walking papers during the daylight?
It's quite amazing that Pagan was involved in both the inside the park HR and triple play. But I don't think that reasonably translates to the Mets winning the game. His home run, at the end of the day, is a solo home run, so not a huge impact on the game, even though it was already the fourth inning. Starting the triple play is on the same level: quite a feat but not necessarily game-deciding. So it's not shocking that the Mets lost the game, but it certainly deflates both accomplishments.
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If you go back to 8/23/09 (Click Here (scores.espn.go.com)), Angel Pagan had another inside-the-park HR, and the Mets lost when the Phillies turned a game-ending unassisted triple play.
Hmm, interesting. I wonder if baseball-reference keeps track of inside the park home runs...
Doesn't look like they do. Pagan is listed with 2 HRs in the game from August 09. The play by play says it's an inside the park, but it doesn't look to be counted in stats separately.
I want to know things like "the active leader in IPHR", and the player with the highest percentage of IPHR out of his total HR (Pagan has those two IPHR out of 18 in his career).
Is A-Rod still out there? I'm far more interested in this story. Wouldn't it just take the wind out of Sox fans' sails if the Yanks stole ANOTHER of their big bats after they snatched up Johnny Damon just a few years ago?
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