ANAHEIM -- Talk about making a play.
After giving up back-to-back singles to open up the top of the sixth inning of a tie game, the Angels had to face Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
But the Angels got out of a jam -- and then some -- by turning the eighth triple play in franchise history in Tuesday night's 7-6 walk-off win at Angel Stadium.
Miguel Rojas and Dalton Rushing, the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters for the Dodgers, each singled to set the table for leadoff man Ohtani. Facing Angels reliever Brock Burke, the three-time MVP drilled a line drive straight into the glove of Angels shortstop Zach Neto, who stepped on second to double off Rojas and then fired to first baseman Nolan Schanuel for the tag on Rushing for the third out, ending the inning and preventing the Dodgers from breaking the tie.
Schanuel was also part of the Angels' last triple play, which happened to be his Major League debut on Aug. 18, 2023, against the Rays in St. Petersburg. In that sequence, Schanuel caught the second out at first and threw the ball to catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who tagged out Yandy Díaz in his attempt to score the go-ahead run.
The Angels have now turned two triple plays in the last three years after not having any since July 5, 1997, against Seattle.
Ohtani became the second reigning MVP in MLB history to hit into a triple play, joining Brooks Robinson.