|
Was is it a triple play or a trapped ball? Even Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant isn't sure after turning the team's first since 1997. The Cincinnati Reds had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night when Bryant seemingly caught a line drive off the bat of outfielder Shogo Akiyama. He stepped on third base and threw across the diamond for an easy triple play, but replays show the ball might have bounced into his glove or was trapped. At first, Bryant said he was sure he caught it. "I'm not trying to sell anybody on a call," he stated after the Cubs' 12-7 loss. "If I dropped it, I dropped it. I thought they were able to review it. I guess not. I certainly thought I caught it. Looking back, it was really close." Third base umpire Larry Vanover made the call, which isn't reviewable, simply because line drives in the infield don't qualify. Bryant said it was the first time in his life he's turned one. "It was hard to tell," he reiterated. "I should have just thrown it to second and then to first. It would have been four outs." The play didn't have much impact in the game as the Reds were leading by seven runs at the time. "I don't think I've ever turned a triple play in my life so that was pretty cool." The Cubs' 23-year gap without turning a triple play was the longest active drought in MLB.
|
