Bryan Reynolds' Smarts Leads To Unique Triple
You can question the power of Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, but never his baseball IQ. Reynolds, a 2021 All-Star, combined base running smarts and unrelenting hustle to tally one of the most unlikely triples you'll see.
In the top of the seventh inning against the Cubs on the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field, Reynolds barely grazed a fastball, slowly sending the pitch just over third base. The soft knock had all the makings of a surprise single.
That's when Reynolds hit the speed burst, while the Cubbies were caught between an infield shift and a nap.
Unsatisfied with a single, or even a double, Reynolds booked reservations for three.
See the unlikely three bagger unfold below.
Reynolds noticed that Chicago defenders were so far out of position that third base was uncovered as he was rounding the bases, paving the way for a surprise triple.
"I saw the third baseman out. Then I saw two guys at second. At third, there was nobody," Reynolds said post game, via MLB.com. "I knew they weren’t gonna catch me. Said, 'Screw it.'"
His intuition was right. By the time Reynolds made the decision to head for third, Cubs players were nowhere near the hot corner.
"I think we got caught a little bit watching the paint dry, as they would say in Hoosiers," admitted Cubs manager David Ross.
Though we can't say for sure, we're guessing that as he rounded second, Reynolds caught his coach's eye and whispered, "I'll make it."
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