D-Backs reliever Bradley breaks wild-card game open with shocking triple

Archie Bradley is a pitcher. And oh, does he rake.

More than a few eyebrows had to be raised when Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo let his ace reliever bat in the seventh inning of a one-run game. But Bradley rewarded his skipper's faith in the most dramatic and unbelievable way. After working the count to 2-2, Bradley ripped a two-out, two-run triple to center field off Colorado Rockies reliever Pat Neshek that gave the D-Backs an 8-5 lead and left over 48,000 at Chase Field screaming in delight while simultaneously rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

The triple left Bradley's bat at an exit velocity of 100.4 mph, per StatCast.

Bradley became the first reliever to triple in a postseason game and is the first pitcher with a playoff triple since 2003.

Triples by pitchers in playoff history

*Hit two triples in Game 1 of the 1919 World Series

The triple appeared to have possibly tired Bradley out, though. Upon returning to the mound for the top of the eighth he allowed back-to-back homers to Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story that pushed the Rockies back to within one run, though Bradley recovered to escape that inning without further damage and the D-Backs still clinging to an 8-7 advantage.

Willis - the last pitcher to triple in a playoff game before Bradley - also struggled on the mound after his three-bagger in 2003, and had a lot of sympathy for Arizona's 25-year-old reliever

Bradley came into the wild-card game a career 6-for-61 (.098) at the plate in the regular season. He went 1-for-4 with a single this year.