For the second year in a row and third time in four years, the New York Yankees turned three. In one of the rare feats in baseball, the Bronx Bombers coaxed the Tampa Bay Rays to bounce into a triple play in the second inning of their 10-2 romp of the Rays at Tropicana Field.
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Like last April, C.C. Sabathia was once again on the hill when the Yankees turned three, going around the horn to complete the feat.
The play occurred when Rays' hitter Sean Rodriguez hit a ground ball to Yangervis Solarte with men on first and second. Solarte stepped on the bag to force out Evan Longoria and tossed the ball to second baseman Brian Roberts, who pivoted on second base to force out Wil Myers. Roberts then fired the ball to first baseman Scott Sizemore, in a throw that beat out Rodriguez and completed the triple play.
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It was a 5-4-3 triple play and Sabathia lamented how lucky he was to be a part of one in two consecutive years afterwards.
"I'm lucky, man. Unbelievable," Sabathia told MLB.com afterwards. "I'm just trying to make a pitch and get a double play."
The Yanks' defense did him one better, turning three and ending the inning on one play.
"I was thinking if they hit a ball close to the base, I'm going to have to step on the base, go to second base," Solarte explained to MLB.com through an interpreter. "If they hit the ball to the other side, I throw to second base and do a double play."
The Yankees improved to 10-6 and continue their set with the Rays Friday night in Tampa.
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