During the top of the seventh inning, with left-handed reliever Brooks Raley on the mound, Kiner-Falefa took his customary lead off third base. At that time, the Yankees were leading the game with a narrow margin of 2-1. Billy McKinney was at the plate, looking to secure a more comfortable lead with two outs already on the board.

However, McKinney’s contribution wasn’t needed to increase the lead, as Kiner-Falefa seized an opportunity to steal home, much to the joy of the Yankee supporters present in the rival territory in Queens. Raley, absorbed in his windup, didn’t notice Kiner-Falefa who took full advantage of the situation by quickly making a dash for home plate.

How Often Has Home Base Been Stolen?

Stealing home base is not an officially recorded statistic, so it is unclear how often it has been done in MLB history. However, there is a list of 39 players who have documented at least ten steals of home during their careers. The last National League player to steal second, then third, then home plate during the same inning was Jon Berti of the Miami Marlins on August 25, 2020. The last American League player to accomplish this was Mallex Smith of the Seattle Mariners on May 27, 2019. Ty Cobb holds the career record in the American League for this feat with four occurrences, and Honus Wagner holds the National League record, also with four occurrences.