7,606: Mets’ comeback zapped by game-ending unassisted triple-play

A Bad Ollie outing

Eric Bruntlett pulled off a game-ending unassisted triple-play to kill the Mets’ comeback rally for a 9-7 win at Citi Field.

The Mets put on the hit-and-run with no outs, runners on first and second and Jeff Francoeur representing the winning run at the plate. Francoeur drove a liner up the middle – right to Bruntlett – who was moving over to cover second base. Bruntlett caught the ball for out No. 1, stepped on second for out No. 2 and tagged out Daniel Murphy for out No. 3.

Unreal, but there were many unbelievable moments during the game.

Angel Pagan led off the bottom of the first with an inside-the-park home run, but Oliver Perez had already spotted the Phillies six runs by that time.

Ollie – bad Ollie this time around – began the top of the first by giving up double during an eight-pitch at-bat to Jimmy Rollins, bumping our NoNoHitters.com count up to 7,606 New York and earning him a new entry on our No-hitters killed by first at batpage.

Perez then walked Shane Victorino before Jayson Werth worked a 10-pitch at-bat for a three-run homer. Three batters. Three runs.

Perez managed to get Ryan Howard to fly out and Raul Ibanez to ground out before embarking on another three-up, three-in. Pedro Feliz walked and Bruntlett got an infield single before Carlos Ruiz blasted a homer to left to make it 6-0.

It’s not often you see a pitcher pulled when he’s about to face the opposing pitcher with two out, but Mets skipper Jerry Manuel went to Nelson Figueroa to get out the Phils’ Pedro Martinez.

Pagan tried to jump-start a Mets’ comeback with a leadoff inside-the-park homer that Victorino mistakenly assumed was a ground-rule double. Pagan added an outside-the-park homer in the third and Luis Castillo went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to at least make it a game.

For the record, Rollins’ first-inning double marked the 150th time over the past 47-plus seasons that a leadoff double killed a Mets’ no-hitter.

Bruntlett’s triple play is only the 15th in Major League history, and only the second in the ninth inning. The Detroit Tigers’ Johnny Neun pulled one off at Navin Field on May 31, 1927, to seal a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.