Royals turn kick save into snazzy double play

This isn’t a play you see every day -- but that’s baseball. Although maybe in this case, it’s closer to soccer. In the second inning of the Royals’ 9-2 loss to the White Sox on Sunday, the team turned a particularly unusual double play.

With Eloy Jiménez batting with one out and Edwin Encarnación on first, Jiménez hit a line drive back toward pitcher Jakob Junis. It didn’t just go towards Junis, though, it ricocheted off his foot and into the air towards third base, where Maikel Franco caught it and threw to first. Because the ball bounced off Junis’ foot -- and not the ground -- that throw got Encarnación for the double play.

Adding to the fun, on contact, the Royals’ broadcast lamented the loss of a chance to turn two, since the deflection took the ball away from a middle infielder who might’ve turned the double play. But lo and behold, the Royals found another way to turn two.