Innings with 3 Sacrifice Flies
Posted by Raphy on August 6, 2009
I have recently discovered the joy of reading old Baseball Digest articles by Rich Marazzi regarding anomalies during past baseball seasons. In his review of the 2000 season Marazzi makes mention of how the Yankees had 3 sacrifice flies in an inning twice during that season. This impossible sounding feat can occur when an error is made on a fly ball and the official scorer rules that the runner on third would have scored, thereby awarding a batter a sacrifice fly even though he didn't make out. Although we can't easily research this using PI (until there is an batting inning finder), The Baseball Almanac lists the four times in baseball history that this has happened and I thought it might be interesting to look at the play descriptions from these games.
White Sox vs. Indians - July 1,1962 (2nd Game) - Fifth Inning
In this game not only did the White Sox have 3 sacrifice flies in the fifth but they also managed to hit into a double play as well!
| Bottom of the 5th, White Sox Batting, Behind 1-2, Indians' Bob Hartman facing 7-8-9 | |||||||||||
| b5 | 0 | --- | 6% | 47% | 1-2 | CHW | M. Hershberger | B. Hartman | Walk | ||
| b5 | 0 | 1-- | 14% | 60% | 1-2 | CHW | S. Esposito | B. Hartman | Single to RF; Hershberger to 3B | ||
| b5 | 0 | 1-3 | R | 8% | 68% | 1-2 | CHW | J. Pizarro | B. Hartman | Reached on E9/Sacrifice Fly; Hershberger Scores; Esposito to 2B; Pizarro to 1B | |
| b5 | 0 | 12- | R | 15% | 83% | 2-2 | CHW | J. Landis | B. Hartman | Single to CF; Esposito Scores; Pizarro to 3B | |
| Barry Latman replaces Bob Hartman pitching and batting 9th | |||||||||||
| b5 | 0 | 1-3 | R | 7% | 89% | 3-2 | CHW | N. Fox | B. Latman | Reached on E9/Sacrifice Fly; Pizarro Scores/unER; Landis to 3B; Fox to 1B | |
| b5 | 0 | 1-3 | 2% | 91% | 4-2 | CHW | J. Cunningham | B. Latman | Walk; Fox to 2B | ||
| b5 | 0 | 123 | RO | 1% | 92% | 4-2 | CHW | A. Smith | B. Latman | Flyball: RF/Sacrifice Fly; Landis Scores/unER; Fox to 3B | |
| b5 | 1 | 1-3 | R | 3% | 94% | 5-2 | CHW | C. Carreon | B. Latman | Single to LF; Fox Scores/unER; Cunningham to 2B | |
| b5 | 1 | 12- | R | 2% | 97% | 6-2 | CHW | F. Robinson | B. Latman | Single to LF; Cunningham Scores/unER; Carreon to 2B | |
| b5 | 1 | 12- | OO | -1% | 96% | 7-2 | CHW | M. Hershberger | B. Latman | Ground Ball Double Play: SS-2B-1B | |
| 6 runs, 4 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. Indians 2, White Sox 7. | |||||||||||
Yankees @ Tigers - June 29, 2000 - Fourth Inning
| Top of the 4th, Yankees Batting, Tied 0-0, Tigers' Dave Mlicki facing 3-4-5 | |||||||||||
| t4 | 0 | --- | 1,(0-0) | 4% | 54% | 0-0 | NYY | P. O'Neill | D. Mlicki | Single to CF (Line Drive) | |
| t4 | 0 | 1-- | R | 1,(0-0) | 16% | 71% | 0-0 | NYY | B. Williams | D. Mlicki | Triple to CF (Line Drive); O'Neill Scores |
| t4 | 0 | --3 | RO | 1,(0-0) | -1% | 70% | 1-0 | NYY | T. Martinez | D. Mlicki | Flyball: LF/Sacrifice Fly (LF-CF); Williams Scores |
| t4 | 1 | --- | 3,(1-1) | 2% | 72% | 2-0 | NYY | S. Spencer | D. Mlicki | Single to LF (Ground Ball thru Short LF) | |
| t4 | 1 | 1-- | 4,(3-0) | 3% | 75% | 2-0 | NYY | S. Brosius | D. Mlicki | Single to LF (Ground Ball thru Short LF); Spencer to 2B | |
| t4 | 1 | 12- | R | 1,(0-0) | 11% | 85% | 2-0 | NYY | C. Turner | D. Mlicki | Double to LF (Line Drive to LF Line); Spencer Scores; Brosius to 3B |
| t4 | 1 | -23 | R | 1,(0-0) | 4% | 89% | 3-0 | NYY | J. Vizcaino | D. Mlicki | Reached on E7/Sacrifice Fly; Brosius Scores; Turner to 3B |
| t4 | 1 | 1-3 | R | 1,(0-0) | 3% | 92% | 4-0 | NYY | C. Knoblauch | D. Mlicki | Single (Ground Ball); Turner Scores; Vizcaino to 2B |
| Nelson Cruz replaces Dave Mlicki pitching | |||||||||||
| t4 | 1 | 12- | RR | 3,(1-1) | 5% | 97% | 5-0 | NYY | D. Jeter | N. Cruz | Double (Line Drive to LF-CF); Vizcaino Scores/unER; Knoblauch Scores |
| t4 | 1 | -2- | 2,(0-1) | 1% | 97% | 7-0 | NYY | P. O'Neill | N. Cruz | Single (Ground Ball); Jeter to 3B | |
| t4 | 1 | 1-3 | RO | 1,(0-0) | 0% | 98% | 7-0 | NYY | B. Williams | N. Cruz | Flyball: RF/Sacrifice Fly; Jeter Scores/Team unER |
| t4 | 2 | 1-- | 2,(1-0) | 0% | 98% | 8-0 | NYY | T. Martinez | N. Cruz | Wild Pitch; O'Neill to 2B | |
| t4 | 2 | -2- | 4,(3-0) | 0% | 98% | 8-0 | NYY | T. Martinez | N. Cruz | Intentional Walk | |
| t4 | 2 | 12- | O | 3,(1-1) | -0% | 97% | 8-0 | NYY | S. Spencer | N. Cruz | Groundout: 3B unassisted/Forceout at 3B; Martinez to 2B |
| 8 runs, 8 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Yankees 8, Tigers 0. | |||||||||||
Yankees vs. Angels - August 19, 2000 - Third Inning
In this game the Yankees actually had three sac flies in a row.
| Bottom of the 3rd, Yankees Batting, Ahead 4-0, Angels' Brian Cooper facing 5-6-7 | |||||||||||
| b3 | 0 | --- | 6,(3-2) | 1% | 89% | 4-0 | NYY | G. Hill | B. Cooper | Walk | |
| b3 | 0 | 1-- | 3,(1-1) | 4% | 93% | 4-0 | NYY | T. Martinez | B. Cooper | Double to LF (Line Drive to LF Line); Hill to 3B | |
| b3 | 0 | -23 | R | 1,(0-0) | 2% | 95% | 4-0 | NYY | J. Posada | B. Cooper | Reached on E7/Sacrifice Fly; Hill Scores; Martinez to 3B; Posada to 2B |
| b3 | 0 | -23 | RO | 6,(3-2) | -0% | 95% | 5-0 | NYY | S. Brosius | B. Cooper | Flyball: LF/Sacrifice Fly; Martinez Scores/unER |
| b3 | 1 | -2- | RO | 3,(1-1) | 1% | 96% | 6-0 | NYY | C. Bellinger | B. Cooper | Flyball: LF/Sacrifice Fly; Posada Scores/unER |
| b3 | 2 | --- | 2,(1-0) | 0% | 96% | 7-0 | NYY | D. Jeter | B. Cooper | Single to CF (Line Drive) | |
| b3 | 2 | 1-- | O | 3,(1-1) | -0% | 96% | 7-0 | NYY | L. Sojo | B. Cooper | Groundout: SS-2B/Forceout at 2B |
| 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Angels 0, Yankees 7. | |||||||||||
Mets @ Yankees - June 24, 2005 - Second Inning
Three sac flies and a pick off in the same inning in this one.
| Top of the 2nd, Mets Batting, Behind 0-1, Yankees' Mike Mussina facing 6-7-8 | |||||||||||
| t2 | 0 | --- | 4,(2-1) | 4% | 44% | 0-1 | NYM | M. Anderson | M. Mussina | Single to 2B (Line Drive to Short RF) | |
| t2 | 0 | 1-- | 7,(3-2) | 6% | 50% | 0-1 | NYM | D. Wright | M. Mussina | Walk; Anderson to 2B | |
| t2 | 0 | 12- | 2,(1-0) | 8% | 58% | 0-1 | NYM | D. Mientkiewicz | M. Mussina | Single to P/Bunt; Anderson to 3B; Wright to 2B | |
| t2 | 0 | 123 | RO | 1,(0-0) | -1% | 57% | 0-1 | NYM | R. Castro | M. Mussina | Flyball: RF/Sacrifice Fly; Anderson Scores; Wright to 3B |
| t2 | 1 | 1-3 | R | 4,(2-1) | 7% | 64% | 1-1 | NYM | J. Reyes | M. Mussina | Reached on E8/Sacrifice Fly; Wright Scores; Mientkiewicz to 2B; Reyes to 1B |
| t2 | 1 | 12- | 3,(1-2) | 5% | 68% | 2-1 | NYM | M. Cameron | M. Mussina | Mientkiewicz Picked off 2B, safe on E1; Mientkiewicz to 3B; Reyes to 2B | |
| t2 | 1 | -23 | RO | 7,(2-2) | 1% | 69% | 2-1 | NYM | M. Cameron | M. Mussina | Flyball: RF/Sacrifice Fly; Mientkiewicz Scores/unER; Reyes to 3B |
| t2 | 2 | --3 | O | 3,(1-1) | -3% | 66% | 3-1 | NYM | C. Beltran | M. Mussina | Popfly: SS |
| 3 runs, 2 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. Mets 3, Yankees 1. | |||||||||||
August 6th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
It is hard to believe that something that happened to one team twice in one season has only happened four times in all of baseball history.
August 6th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hmm, the Yankees-Angels game is particularly intriguing in that the third SF came when Jorge Posada (aka, Cinder Block Feet) scored from SECOND on a fly ball out to LF. What's the backstory there? I mean not to be flippant, but one has to wonder if the LF got injured on the play and couldn't get the ball back into the infield in time to get Posada lumbering home...
August 6th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
The Retrosheet box score explains what happened: [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2000/B08190NYA2000.htm] Hill walked; Martinez doubled to left [Hill to third]; Posada reached on an error by Gant on a sacrifice fly [Hill scored, Martinez to third, Posada to second]; Gant dropped the liner; Brosius hit a sacrifice fly to left [Martinez scored (unearned)]; Bellinger out on a sacrifice fly
to left [Posada scored (unearned)]; Gant thought there were two out and leaned against the wall; Jeter singled to center; Sojo forced Jeter (shortstop to second).
August 7th, 2009 at 12:07 am
How is that considered a sacrifice fly? Even if he was able to tag up to get to third, Gant should have been charged an error for him to score from 3rd base.
If that can be considered a sac fly, then theoretically, if an infielder fielded a ground ball cleanly and sat in the dirt without even attempting a throw, would it be considered a hit?
August 7th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Odd. I just read a newspaper account of that Yankees-Angels game (N.Y. Post on-line archive). They mention the same thing...that Gant forgot the number of outs. I guess it's a matter of an omission (mental error) vs a commission. The fact is that Posada advanced two bases after the catch and before a play was made on him. I guess there's no other way to account for Posada's advance from 3rd to home other than to say that he advanced from 2nd to home on the flyball, i.e., via SF.
I guess, then, that the infielder sitting in the dirt after fielding a ground ball might have to result in a 'hit', although it's difficult to say what that infielder might have been thinking.
Is there such a thing as defensive indifference on anything other than a 'non-steal' steal? I don't know. Let's say that a left fielder knew there was only one out in that situation, but his team was up by ten runs in the 9th. If he catches a routine fly ball and lobs it into an infielder, who then lobs it back to the pitcher, both knowing that a runner is scoring from 2nd on the play, but also knowing that their team remains up by nine with two out and nobody on, could that be defensive indifference?
August 12th, 2009 at 7:43 am
This is slightly off topic, but illustrates why a SF should be scored as an AB. There was a game a few weeks ago where the bases were loaded with nobody out and the batter hit a fly ball to CF. The CFer came running in and dropped the ball, but recovered in time to get a force (8-6) at 2B. The run scored and the batter was charged with an AB and got the RBI. If the ball had been caught cleanly and the runner had scored -OR- if the ball had been misplayed and rolled to the wall, it would have been ruled a SF (no AB either way) which is completely inconsistent with what actually happened. The RBI should be ample reward for a fly ball with a man on 3rd base.
August 12th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Dodgers on 5/23/1972?
Astros on 7/6/1975? (maybe not all flies)
August 12th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
According to the 2008 Sporting News Baseball Record Book (page 46):
The record for Sacrifice hits in an inning (at least until then) is
4—Pittsburgh vs Brooklyn, May 21, 1913, 8th
They list all the AL games with 3,but no other NL games.
http://www.sportingnews.com/books/baseball/2008baseballrecordbook/