Major League Baseball may go an entire week without seeing four trilpes in as many as 105 possible games, so what the Los Angeles Angels did in the third inning of Friday night's Spring Training 11-5 win over the Cleveland Indians is simply unheard of. In a span of five batters, the Angels ripped four triples that led to three runs.
After a lead-off strikeout, Erick Aybar, C.J. Cron, Johnny Giavotella, and Collin Cowgill pulled off the amazing feat. The oddity is that only Cron's triple drove in a run. The other two runs scored on a sacrifice fly from Chris Ianetta, scoring Cron, and a wild pitch from Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer to score Giavotella.
The Angels has eight extra-base hits on the day, including three doubles (Cron, Cole Calhoun, and Giavotella) and a two-run homer from Ianetta (2), who had a game-high three runs batted in.
The quad of trios in the third followed a four-run outburst in the second. Ianetta hit his two-run shot to start the scoring. Calhoun followed later with his RBI double, and Mike Trout drove in run #4 with a sacrifice fly.
David Freese, Giavotella, and Efren Navarro each drove in single tuns late in the game.
Already down 7-0 after the inning of triples, Cleveland scored single runs in the third, fourth, and ninth. They also picked up two in the eighth. Francisco Lindor drove in two, and Michael Bourne, Michael Martinez, and Anthony Gallas had an RBI apiece.
Hector Santiago (W: 1-0, 4.50 ERA) started and pitched 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Adam Wilk allowed Cleveland's three late runs in his two innings of work.
Trevor Bauer (L: 0-1, 5.97) allowed all four triples in taking the loss. He pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on nine hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.
On Satruday, the Angels host the San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland hosts a Colorado Rockies split squad.