The Arizona Diamondbacks are 2.5 games out of first place in the NL West and in the thick of a Major League Baseball playoff push thanks thanks to hustle and plays including a strikeout-turned-triple by Corbin Carroll.
The odds-on favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Carroll has been having a terrific first season in the majors. On Tuesday, the Diamondbacks hit the road to take on the Atlanta Braves — and from the first pitch, it was a hotly contested matchup.
With the game tied 5-5 in the top of the second inning and a man on second base, the lefty Carroll — facing a 2-2 count — swung at a breaking ball that landed in the dirt.
However, if a swung-on third strike results in the ball getting away from the catcher, the runner can run toward first base. As you can see in the video below, it became a much more impactful play for Carroll.
Corbin Carroll's Hustle Play Turns a Strikeout into a Triple
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Corbin Carroll with the rare strikeout-triple pic.twitter.com/5rUlyJnvq0
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The catcher picked up the ball and tossed it toward first, but the throw was errant. This allowed Carroll to use his 28-stolen-bases speed to go from a strikeout to reaching third base and scoring the runner from second, Ketel Marte. The Diamondbacks went up 6-5, which would help them eventually win 16-13.
Carroll went 2-for-5 in the game, scoring three runs, driving in two runs and adding two more stolen bases to his resume?. The 22-year-old is currently -400 to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award at DraftKings Sportsbook, meaning you'd need to wager $400 to win $100.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants winning Tuesday, the Diamondbacks kept pace in their pursuit of the NL West crown.
