These are some of the most unusual double plays in history

Although double plays are commonplace during baseball games, many are far from common.

Some involve wacky infield alignments that result in unique rundowns, while others start in the outfield. One such double play came on Sunday, when the Marlins turned a unique 8-9-4-2 double play that began with a great catch by center fielder Derek Hill and was relayed to two players before it reached catcher Nick Fortes at home plate to tag the Mets' Mark Vientos.

With that in mind, here's a look at some of the wackiest double plays in baseball history.

Marlins turn unprecedented double play
Aug. 18, 2024

If you thought you hadn't seen an 8-9-4-2 double play before, you're in luck. According to Elias, the Marlins' 8-9-4-2 double play was the first such play dating back to 1900. It began with a sprawling catch in center field by Hill, who crashed into the wall and fell to the ground. Hill had the awareness to flip the ball up to right fielder Jesús Sánchez, who then relayed it to second baseman Otto Lopez. The Marlins' second baseman uncorked a throw to Fortes at home plate, where he nabbed Vientos for an inning-ending double play.

Hill started a pivotal and unique double play that altered the course of the game and also delivered a go-ahead, game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning. Suffice it to say that Hill played a big role in Miami's win in New York.

Final score: Marlins 3, Mets 2

Michael Harris II calls game
2023 NLDS Game 2 vs. Phillies

After trailing for most of the night against the Phillies, the Braves took the lead in the eighth inning on a big home run by Austin Riley. In the ninth, after Bryce Harper led off the inning with a walk, Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos cranked a ball that seemed destined to be a game-tying extra-base hit in the right center-field gap.

Enter Harris, who ran 96 feet and made a leaping catch to secure the ball while slamming into the wall. From there, he threw the ball into the infield where Austin Riley grabbed it and threw to first to double up Harper, who had rounded second base thinking the ball wouldn't be caught. Instead of heading to Philadelphia down 2-0, Harris' incredible catch helped the Braves head north with a tied series. It was the first 8-5-3 double play in postseason history.

Final score: Braves 5, Phillies 4

Giants make history
Aug. 27, 2023

This unique double play had a lot of everything. With one out in the fifth inning, Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. tapped a ball to first baseman J.D. Davis, who charged the ball and flipped to pitcher Scott Alexander, who was running to cover first base. But then second baseman Thairo Estrada beat Alexander to the bag, which led to Alexander flipping to Estrada for the forceout. Estrada then promptly threw home to catcher Patrick Bailey who tagged Orlando Arcia out at home to complete the first 3-1-4-2 double play in the Expansion Era.

Final Score: Giants 8, Braves 5

Red Sox turn replay-assisted double play
July 25, 2023

There are pretty double plays, and then there’s the double play the Red Sox turned against the Braves. Marcell Ozuna lined a ball that second baseman Christian Arroyo appeared to play on a hop before uncorking a wild throw to first that allowed Atlanta’s runners to move up. But, after an umpire review it was ruled that Arroyo caught the ball, which meant that Matt Olson (who went first to third on the play) was out via a tag. It wasn’t pretty, but outs are outs.

Final score: Red Sox 7, Braves 1

Pirates double up at second base
Aug. 10, 2022

After the D-backs loaded the bases with no one out in the ninth inning, catcher Carson Kelly hit a routine grounder to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who threw to Rodolfo Castro at second base to set off a routine 5-4-3 double play.

Only that’s not what it turned into.

Instead, Castro caught the ball, stepped on second and threw to shortstop Kevin Newman, who had moved over to cover third when Hayes fielded the ball. At that point, Arizona’s Emmanuel Rivera was caught in a rundown between second and third, and he started to retreat to second. He eventually ended up on second base with teammate Sergio Alcántara, who had already been forced out. Rivera ended up not having his foot on the bag and was tagged out by Newman to conclude one of the wilder double plays you’ll see.

Final Score: Pirates 6, D-backs 4

Justin Turner gets two on a Game 7 rundown
2020 NLCS Game 7 vs. Braves

When you're playing in one game for the pennant, every play is magnified, especially when it turns a promising opportunity for one team into an improbable escape for the other. That's what happened in the top of the fourth inning of NLCS Game 7 between the Dodgers and Braves, when with runners at second and third with nobody out, Atlanta's Nick Markakis hit a sharp ground ball to third base, where Turner fielded and threw home, getting Dansby Swanson in a rundown. Turner ended up tagging Swanson out with a dive, then turned around while on the ground and threw to third, where Corey Seager tagged out Austin Riley. The win expectancy for the Dodgers, per FanGraphs, went from 23.2 percent before the play, to 39.7 percent after -- a swing of 16.5 percent.

Final score: Dodgers 4, Braves 3

Ramon Laureano and Nick Hundley, A’s
April 21, 2019, vs. Blue Jays

Since he debuted in the Majors in 2018, Laureano has made a name for himself on the defensive end. That name? "Laser Ramon," stemming from his collection of highlight-reel throws. But the center fielder can also get it done with the glove, as he showed when he tracked Teoscar Hernández's towering fly ball to left-center field, leaped and reached over the wall to pull back a surefire home run.

Laureano was not about to let an opportunity to showcase his arm strength pass him by, however, as he unleashed a throw from just in front of the warning track that sailed over first base on the fly, where it was corralled by Hundley. The catcher quickly threw the ball from foul territory to second base, and Jurickson Profar tagged Justin Smoak to complete the unbelievable twin killing.

Final score: Blue Jays 5, A's 4

Twins (4-3-7-2)
July 2, 2018, at Brewers

A routine grounder to second base turned into quite the adventure in Milwaukee, and Brewers first baseman Jesús Aguilar was at the center of the madness. Instead of tagging Aguilar, the lead runner, Brian Dozier went to first base to retire Travis Shaw. Joe Mauer’s throw to second base then bounced off Aguilar and ricocheted into left field, where it was mishandled by Eddie Rosario. Aguilar was waved home as Rosario retrieved the ball, but the slugger never made it, getting thrown out at the plate on a strong through by Minnesota's left fielder.

Final score: Brewers 6, Twins 5

Kendall Graveman, A’s
April 27, 2017, at Angels

An unassisted double play by the pitcher? Yep. Graveman did it all on this play, from throwing the pitch to fielding the ball to tagging out not one, but two baserunners. Protecting a 2-1 lead with two on and nobody out in the fifth, the right-hander snagged a comebacker off the bat of Juan Graterol and saw Ben Revere sprinting to the plate. Graveman chased him back up the third-base line and applied the tag, then hopped over Revere to tag a sliding Cliff Pennington on the other side of the bag.

Final score: Angels 2, A's 1

Ronnie Belliard, Dodgers
May 2, 2010, vs. Pirates

Belliard’s effort to record the first out was certainly impressive, as he ranged from third base into shallow left field and made a terrific over-the-shoulder catch on Bobby Crosby’s popup. But the follow up may have been even more difficult. With his momentum carrying him away from the infield, Belliard came to a stop, turned and fired a majestic rainbow to first base to nab Andy LaRoche. He received some help from James Loney, who dove for the throw without taking his foot off the base.

Final score: Dodgers 9, Pirates 3

Endy Chavez, Mets
2006 NLCS Game 7 vs. Cardinals

You’ve probably seen this catch many times before, as it’s easily one of the greatest home run robberies in history. But it’s easy to forget that the play didn’t end with Chavez’s jaw-dropping snow-cone grab to take a tie-breaking homer away from Scott Rolen in the sixth inning. Immediately after getting his feet back on the ground, Chavez fired a strike to second baseman Jose Valentin, who turned and threw the ball to first baseman Carlos Delgado to double up Jim Edmonds.

Final score: Cardinals 3, Mets 1

Paul Lo Duca, Mets
2006 NLDS Game 1 vs. Dodgers

Call this the baseball equivalent of getting two for the price of one, as Lo Duca barely had to move to record two outs in the top of the second inning during Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Shea Stadium. The Dodgers appeared to be in business when Russell Martin hit a fly ball off the base of the right-field wall with two men on base and nobody out, but the Mets’ relay arrived in plenty of time to nab Jeff Kent at home plate. After tagging Kent, Lo Duca alertly saw J.D. Drew racing home and applied the tag for the second out of the frame seconds later. The double play was a harbinger of things to come for the series, which was swept by New York.

Final score: Mets 6, Dodgers 5

Ozzie Smith, Cardinals
Aug. 29, 1992, vs. Dodgers

Even at age 37, the “Wizard of Oz” still had plenty of magic left in his bag of tricks, including this awe-inspiring levitation act. Although Mike Scioscia’s two-hopper to second baseman Luis Alicea was tailor-made for a double play, Lenny Harris was running on the pitch and had nearly reached second by the time Alicea made his flip. To avoid a collision after getting the force, Smith jumped over a sliding Harris and remained airborne long enough to complete his throw to first base.

Final score: Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2

Lenny Dykstra and John Gibbons, Mets
Aug. 27, 1986

The 1986 Mets had plenty of memorable moments, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one more memorable than this fantastic double play. Tim Flannery singled through the middle with what looked like a game-tying single, but Lenny Dykstra threw out Garry Templeton at home thanks in part to John Gibbons holding onto the ball after colliding with Templeton. After showing the umpire he had the ball, Gibbons fired a seed to third to nab Flannery and complete the crazy game-ending double play.

Final score: Mets 6, Padres 5

Carlton Fisk, White Sox
Aug. 2, 1985, at Yankees

More than 20 years before Lo Duca’s double play at the plate, Fisk completed a similar two-fer, also in New York. When Rickey Henderson lifted a fly ball to left-center field in the seventh inning, lead runner Bobby Meacham waited between second and third for the ball to drop before taking off for home. By that point, Dale Berra was on his heels, and both men came around third base almost simultaneously, much to the chagrin of third-base coach Gene Michael. They were met at the plate by Fisk, who tagged Meacham and Berra in succession to spoil New York’s rally and keep the game tied at 3-3.

Final score: White Sox 6, Yankees 5