Facing the Chicago White Sox with no outs and men on first and second in the seventh inning, Twins pitcher Griffin Jax gave AJ Pollock what looked like the game-tying triple, or at least an extra base hit. Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers seemed to think so, immediately diving forward when he saw the contact. And then, well, Buxton had a really good game, while the White Sox baserunners had a really bad game. Adam Engel had started the game on second while Yoan Moncada was on first. Buxton made a highlight-reel run with neither baserunner tagged up, then got the ball quickly enough for Twins third baseman Gio Urshela to tag out Moncada between second and third and second to get the Engel out. It was the first 8-5 triple game recorded in MLB history, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. To be fair to the White Sox, Statcast had Pollock’s fly ball as a 389-footer with an .820 xBA, basically an 82 percent chance to hit. Again, that still leaves an 18 percent chance of a very embarrassing mistake, a historic mistake. White Sox manager Tony La Russa’s face really says it all. That it was Buxton who pioneered the triple play genre should come as no surprise. The 28-year-old has long been one of the best outfielders in the game when healthy, both in arm and range. He was also responsible for the Twins’ only runs up to that point, hitting a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Buxton’s 22 homers are tied for fourth in the American League, with a .227/.302/.576 slash on the season. Between his power and fielding, he remains a contender for a first career All-Star nod this month. Byron Buxton and the Twins did something unprecedented against the White Sox. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
