Watch: Nationals turn first-ever 3-3-5 triple play

Sometimes, things just work out the way you want them to.

On Friday, the Washington Nationals were graced with a stroke of good luck when they turned the first 3-3-5 triple play in MLB history against the San Francisco Giants, who were threatening late in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out, down 4-1.

Moments before the rare triple play - the first in franchise history - the Nationals subbed in first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who caught Brandon Crawford's line drive, stepped on the bag for the second out, and fired over to Anthony Rendon, who caught Denard Span wandering too far down the line for the inning-ending out.

"Once I caught it I knew I had the double play, and I looked up and Tony's jumping up and down with a smile on his face," Zimmerman told MLB.com. "So I just tossed the ball over to him and got out of a jam. Just like that."

Zimmerman was pretty pumped about his fine work when he returned to the team's dugout, and the Nationals held on for the 4-1 victory.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)