MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins picked the perfect time to turn a triple play for the first time in more than two years, squelching a first-inning rally in the series opener against the New York Yankees.
After DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge drew walks to start the game on Monday night against Martin Perez, Edwin Encarnacion hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Luis Arraez, who stepped on the bag and whipped the ball to second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the same motion. The relay to first baseman Miguel Sano beat Encarnacion by a step, completing the first triple play for the Twins since June 1, 2017, when Sano, Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer went around the horn against the Los Angeles Angels.
"You've got to give Arraez all the credit, because he just gave me a perfect throw,'' Schoop said after Minnesota's 8-6 win.
It was the second triple play in the majors this season, and first triple play to occur in the first inning since 2016.
The Yankees had gone two years without hitting into a triple play. Todd Frazier was the last guilty party, on July 25, 2017, against the Cincinnati Reds.
It's the second time in his career that Encarnacion has hit into a triple play, the other being April 12, 2009, against the Pirates while a member of the Reds. The only other active players who have hit into multiple triple plays are Yadier Molina and Sean Rodriguez.
According to Elias Sports Bureau research, the Twins also became the first team in MLB history to turn a triple play and hit back-to-back homers in the first inning of a game. Jorge Polanco and Nelson Cruz both went deep to give Minnesota an early 2-0 lead.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.