Framing the Friars: Wil Myers Steals for The Cycle
Wil Myers joined some elite company after accomplishing a feat in the San Diego Padres’ 3-0 over the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 16.
The win completed the three-game sweep, marking the first time the Padres swept the Phillies since 1998.
Ironically, the team wore their home uniform from the 1998 season.
The rare feat accomplished by Myers was stealing three bases in one game, becoming only the third first baseman since 2000 to steal three bases in one game, and the 67th overall in the history of Major League Baseball, according to a list provided by Baseball Reference.
Looking at that list, some familiar names appear. Jeff Bagwell, Pete Rose, and Lou Gehrig, among other notable players enshrined in Cooperstown, stole three bases in a game at least once during their careers. Former Padres Ryan Klesko, Allan Wiggins, and Joe Carter also accomplished the feat. Klesko did it while playing with the Padres in 2001, in a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24.
Another accomplishment under his belt, Myers becomes the first Padre to steal three bases in the same inning.
Myers stole three bases in the bottom of the fourth inning, happening back-to-back-to-back. The inning started with Carlos Asuaje hitting a leadoff double. That was the Padres’ first hit of the day. Phillies starter Nick Pivetta breezed through the first three innings, striking out eight Friars.
Wil Myers stole second. Then he stole third. Then he stole home. He’s the 51st to steal for the cycle in an inning.https://t.co/inkUxGnxhR pic.twitter.com/gXjvcdC03y
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) August 16, 2017
With two outs in the inning and a full count, Myers reached out and hit a slider that was tailing low and away, and sent it into left field. Asuaje scored and the score was 1-0. That was when the robbery began.
Myers stole both second and third base while Hedges was at the plate. He stole third base when Hedges took ball four to draw a walk. Runners were at the corners, still with two outs.
With Hunter Renfroe in the box, Hedges made an attempt to steal second. Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp made the throw to second, and Hedges put on the brakes. He was caught in a rundown, and Myers had an opportunity to run home. First baseman Tommy Joseph threw home, but Myers was able to sneak in underneath the tag to score and complete the stealing cycle. The Padres had a 2-0 lead.
Renfroe added an RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 3-0. It was his 24th double of the season, and he’s achieved a 20-20 stat (20 home runs and 20 doubles) in his first full MLB season.
Myers went 2-for-2 on the day and reached base four times. He hit a double in the eighth inning to go along with his RBI-single. He was walked twice.
Clayton Richard threw a complete game shutout to earn the win. He struck out six and induced 17 ground ball outs to go the distance. He allowed just three hits. With the win, he improved to 6-12 on the season.
It was the third complete game shutout thrown by Richard. The other two times happened in 2010 and in 2012, while Richard pitched for the Padres.
Dominant! Clayton Richard with arguably the best start of his career. Myers’ 3 steals. Fun day; first sweep of Phils since 98. #PadresWin
— jesse agler (@jesseagler) August 16, 2017
The Friars stay at Petco over the weekend, as they will host the Washington Nationals in a three-game series, Aug. 18-20. It’s Players Weekend, and the team will wear a unique jersey.
Mike is the sports editor for the Fayette Advertiser, and has been with East Village Times since 2015. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report. He is an avid Padres fan who is keeping the faith and trusting the process.
