In a spring training game that had more twists than a rollercoaster, Robbie Ray's 2026 debut was anything but ordinary. The veteran pitcher faced just three batters in his first inning, walking two and allowing a bloop single. Yet, he somehow escaped the inning unscathed, thanks to a bizarre triple play that left everyone scratching their heads.
The scene at Scottsdale Stadium was already unusual, with Ray pitching through a loud fire alarm that sent some fans heading for the exits. Despite the chaos, Ray managed to keep his composure, chuckling as he returned to the dugout where his teammates playfully congratulated him for maneuvering out of the jam.
"You'll see a lot of stuff in spring training that you don't see during the season," Ray said, grinning from ear to ear.
The craziness kicked off right from the start. As Ray faced Alex Bregman, the ballpark lights started flashing, and a recorded message urged fans to evacuate. Most fans stayed put, captivated by Ray's determination to continue pitching through the commotion.
Ray admitted he wanted a break, but the first base umpire encouraged him to keep going. He walked Matt Shaw and Bregman, then allowed a flare to right from Seiya Suzuki. With Shaw expected to score, Rafael Devers cut off the throw to get Suzuki at second, and that's when things got really interesting.
"When he made that cut, I didn't see the guy not go home," Ray explained. "I was yelling 'two!
two! two!'
for the play at second, then realized there was a guy stuck between second and third. I looked over, and the guy at third was just standing there.
I thought, I'm going to get two outs, and it ended up being three."
At 34, entering his 13th MLB season, Ray recalled a similar triple play from his minor league days. The Giants, on the other hand, hadn't turned one in a regular-season game since 2008.
Despite the pandemonium, Ray got the work he needed and felt good physically. He's eager to address some mechanical tweaks in his next bullpen session and hopes for a more typical outing next time. After all, how do you top an inning like that?
"That's enough chaos for spring training in one game," he concluded with a laugh.