No one would have been surprised if Astros’ RF Kyle Tucker was calling for oxygen after yesterday’s (September 10, 2023) 12-2 win over the Padres (in Houston). Tucker not only collected two hits, drove in two runs, scored twice and stole two bases – he also tied one of MLB’s most unique records, hitting two triples in one inning. (Side note: They were Tucker’s first two triples of the season.
The San Diego Padres have two pitchers named Hill (Tim and Rich) on their active 2023 roster and, on September 10, the Astros Kyle Tucker tripled off both of them – in the same inning.
Tucker came up against the Padres’ Tim Hill in the bottom of the sixth , with a runner on second no outs and the Astros up 4-1. He drove a 1-1 pitch to deep right field for a triple. By the time Tucker came up again in the frame, the Astros had scored seven times in the inning and Rich Hill had replaced Tim Hill on the mound. With one runner on and two outs, Tucker took an 0-2 pitch to deep right-center for his second triple of the inning.
How rare is a two-triple inning? Rare enough that there seem to be some disagreement on just how rare. Tucker was reported as the eleventh and twelfth major leaguer to accomplish the feat by various news sources and Baseball-Almanac.com provides a list of players with two triples in an inning and that would make Tucker number thirteen. (Baseball Roundtable will use Baseball Almanac’s number.) Eleven, twelve or thirteen (and only six since 1901), it’s pretty darn rare. For example: There have been two dozen Perfect Games in MLB; more than 50 fifty players have hit two homers in an inning (five of them twice); nearly four dozen players have stolen second, third and in an inning (two of them four times); and MLB has seen more than 300 no-hitters.
The 26-year-old Tucker was hitting .290-26-103 at the close of play September 10 – leading the AL in RBI. He also had 28 steals (in 32 attempts)and 86 runs scored. The two-time All Star has a career line of .274-99-359, with 81 steals (six MLB seasons.) He has 13 career triples, leading the AL with six in 2020.
Players Pre-1901 with a two-triple inning:
- Harry Wheeler, Cincinnati (American Association) … July 28, 1882;
- Joe Hornung, Boston (NL) … May 6, 1882;
- Harry Stovey, (Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) … August 18, 1884;
- Heinie Peitz, St. Louis Browns (NL) … July 2, 1895;
- Frank Shugart, Louisville Colonels (NL) … July 30, 1895
- Buck Freeman, Boston (NL) … July 25, 1900;
- Bill Dahlen, Brooklyn Superebas (NL) … August 30, 1900
Primary Resources: Baseball-References.com; Baseball-Almanac.com
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