SEATTLE -- Evan Gattis said he knew how many outs there were, he just was mad at himself for grounding into a double play.
Seconds later, the Astros' veteran designated hitter realized he'd instead wound up wandering into the first triple play in the Majors this season when he was tagged off first base by the Mariners in the fourth inning of Houston's 9-2 victory Thursday at Safeco Field.
The Astros had runners at first and second with no one out when Gattis hit a hard grounder to Kyle Seager at third. Seager stepped on the bag and threw to second baseman Robinson Cano for a double play.
Gattis made it to first base and walked off the bag toward the middle of the infield. The Mariners started pointing at Gattis, and first baseman Daniel Vogelbach tagged him for the third out.
After the game, Gattis walked to his locker and said, "Who wants to ask me about my dumb play?"
Everyone did.
"It was just a mistake,'' Gattis said. "I knew how many outs there were. It was about grounding into a double play. At the time I wanted to laugh on the inside because of how stupid it was. It was a 0-0 game. I think I got so mad I couldn't think straight. It's ridiculous."
Astros manager AJ Hinch wasn't sure how it happened.
"That was an ugly play and clearly not something we want to see happen," Hinch said.

It was the first triple play turned by the Mariners since 2015 and 12th the club has turned in franchise history. It marked the first triple play the Astros hit into since George Springer did so in 2016, and their ninth in club history.

Seager watched the play unfold after his quick throw to second and was surprised Cano didn't try to relay the ball to first for an initial triple-play attempt, with Gattis slow out of the box on the checked-swing hopper.
"I'd never been part of a triple play," Seager said. "That was pretty cool. It was an interesting one, as well. When I threw it to Robbie and he didn't throw it [to first] I was like, 'Oh man, he was going to be safe either way, but you might as well try it.' Then we ended up getting him anyway, so Robbie was a genius."
Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales was the recipient of the quick three outs to get out of the inning. He, too, said it was the first triple play of his career.
"It was a freak one, but I'll take it," Gonzales said. "I had no idea where Robbie was throwing the ball. It made me question how many outs there were."

It was an unusual inning even before the crazy triple play. After Jose Altuve walked to start the fourth, Carlos Correa fouled a pitch off his left knee and fell to the dirt in obvious pain. After walking it off and talking to Hinch and a team trainer, Correa remained in the game.
Moments later Correa scorched a 99-mph liner back to the mound that Gonzales managed to keep from hitting his face by getting his glove up just in time to deflect the ball away. That put two runners on to set up the triple play.

"I guess he was ticked after he fouled one off of him, so he took it out on me," Gonzales said. "It was one where you kind of see it off the bat and I almost had it. I'm just glad it didn't get me in the mouth."