This week in interesting and unusual stats (July 25-31)

9:14 PM ET

Each Sunday in this space we bring you some of our favorite quirks, oddities and unusual plays from the week in baseball. Thanks to our friends at Baseball Reference and the Elias Sports Bureau for research assistance.

Ryan Zimmerman caught Brandon Crawford’s liner in the eighth inning Friday to begin the first triple play ever for the Washington Nationals. The franchise last turned one on Sept. 3, 2002, against the Philadelphia, when Marlon Anderson struck out and the Expos nabbed two runners stealing on the pitch. Friday’s was the first TP by a Washington team since July 30, 1968, when Senators shortstop Ron Hansen, in Cleveland, turned one of the 15 unassisted ones. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, it was the first 3-3-5 triple play in major-league history (some have gone 3-3-6 to double a runner off second, but never off third). There have already been five turned this season (three by the Chicago White Sox), the most through July since 1979.

Another previous Washington team, now the Minnesota Twins, added to our collection of wacky walk-offs with a bases-loaded walk in the 12th Friday. The team’s last game-ending walk was in 2007, also against the White Sox, but their last one in the 12th inning (or later) was back on …

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