MILWAUKEE -- Triple the defense.

The Nationals accomplished a feat that had only been achieved once in team history (2005-present) when Maikel Franco, C¨¦sar Hern¨¢ndez and Josh Bell wowed with a 5-4-3 triple play in the seventh inning of a 7-0 loss to the Brewers on Friday night at American Family Field.

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¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± Franco said. ¡°But sometimes the play tells you what you have to do.¡±?

Trailing the Brewers 2-0, reliever Carl Edwards Jr. walked Jace Peterson and Kolten Wong to put runners on first and second.

On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Edwards got Luis Ur¨ªas to bounce a one-hopper to the hot corner. Franco fielded it, stepped on third and fired the ball off to Hern¨¢ndez, who then quickly turned it to Bell at first base for a rapid trio of outs.?

¡°I was just playing on the line and I played to cover the bunting,¡± Franco said. ¡°As soon as he hit me the ball, I just thought about going to second and I knew I had a shot to get a triple play.¡±

Franco and Hern¨¢ndez also paired up to complete a 5-4-3 triple play while playing for the Phillies. The duo -- along with first baseman Tommy Joseph -- achieved the feat on Aug. 7, 2016, against the Padres.

¡°It¡¯s kind of exactly the same play that I remembered,¡± said Franco.

After Friday's triple play, Edwards erupted with elation from the mound as the inning dashed to an end without the Brewers adding runs.

¡°It was huge for us at the time,¡± Edwards said. ¡°I was so excited, I almost dapped the umpire up. So I think that pretty much tells everything.¡±

From manager Dave Martinez¡¯s perspective in the dugout, the anticipation of the defensive rarity made Hern¨¢ndez¡¯s throw to Bell feel like it was airborne ¡°for a while,¡± especially in a tight game.

¡°Just make good throws,¡± Martinez thought watching the play unfold. ¡°That was pretty awesome. As soon as he hit the ball there, right away, you said, ¡®Triple play.¡¯ But then all of a sudden, like I said, half the play is catching, the other half is throwing the ball around the field. They did a great job.¡±

In the outfield, the Nationals got to witness a defensive spectacle.

¡°It was a great ball to do it on,¡± said left fielder Lane Thomas. ¡°It was just bang, bang, bang. It was cool.¡±

The Nationals are only the second team to turn a triple play this season. The Rangers also did it on April 20 vs. the Mariners.

¡°It's a rare thing,¡± Ur¨ªas said. I don't want to hit into one, but it happens.¡±

The trifecta was last completed by the Nats on July 29, 2016, when Ryan Zimmerman snagged Brandon Crawford¡¯s line drive, doubled off Buster Posey at first base and threw out Denard Span at third to Anthony Rendon for a 3-3-5 triple play against the Giants in San Francisco.