Reds pull off freak play against Tigers

Sunday’s first game between the Reds and Tigers was already plenty unusual; it was the first leg of the first MLB doubleheader in the Modern Era (since 1900) in which both games were scheduled for fewer than 9 innings, and then Tigers reliever Tyler Alexander came out of the bullpen and ripped off nine straight strikeouts to tie the American League record.

But, in the spirit of the “rule of threes,” this game took one more weird turn. With one out in the bottom of the seventh -- aka the last inning in regulation for Game 1 -- Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones knocked a grounder off the right leg of Reds first baseman Josh VanMeter and straight up into the air. Second baseman Kyle Farmer stayed alert, fielding the ball barehanded while it was still aloft and then firing a throw to closer Raisel Iglesias in time for a strange-but-true 3-4-1 putout.

Farmer’s heads-up play helped to keep the bases clean, and Iglesias struck out Niko Goodrum in the next at-bat to preserve an important 4-3 win for the Reds, who improved to 3-5 on the season.