Carroll strikes out ... then ends up at third base?!

July 19th, 2023

ATLANTA -- was doing Corbin Carroll things again during the D-backs' wild 16-13 victory over the Braves on Tuesday night at Truist Park.

First, the D-backs outfielder knocked a first-inning triple to open the scoring. Then, the NL Rookie of the Year candidate struck out swinging in the second inning, but wound up at third base.

No, you didn't read that wrong. Carroll struck out and ended up on third base in the same plate appearance.

That’s because the nasty Bryce Elder slider that got Carroll to swing and miss bounced in the dirt and kicked away from catcher Sean Murphy and up the third-base line. Murphy pounced on the ball, but Carroll was already well on his way to first base.

Instead of hanging on to the ball and letting Carroll reach first, Murphy threw wildly to first and the ball went past Matt Olson and down the right-field line. By the time right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. tracked the ball down, Ketel Marte had scored from second base and Carroll, using his lightning speed, was in at third base without a throw chasing him.

Carroll said it was the first time he had ever struck out and got all the way to third base on the same play.

“That was crazy,” Carroll said. “I saw it kicked away a little bit. We talked about coming out this series aggressive and putting the pressure on another team and we did. That was just one example of that tonight.”

It was part of a five-run second inning for the D-backs, turning a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead at that point in a back-and-forth game.