Though slightly more common than no-hitters, cycles do not come around all that often.
All-time great hitters like Willie Mays and Pete Rose never accomplished the feat. On the other hand, Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill hit for the cycle twice in 2012 alone. It's hit or miss, dependent on a player exploding on one particular day.
Orioles designated hitter Gunnar Henderson had almost all the ingredients for a cycle against the Athletics Sunday, doubling, tripling and homering as Baltimore dominated Oakland.
And then a funny thing happened: needing just a single in the eighth inning to achieve immortality, Henderson doubled down the right field line.
Gunnar Henderson had the chance to do the funniest thing ever and he did. pic.twitter.com/vPKtCfhjE7
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 20, 2023
Henderson stood on second base and smiled as his teammates good-naturedly motioned for him to go back to first base. He finished 4-for-5 with 11 total bases, driving in two runs in the Orioles' 12–1 victory.
In his rookie season, the 22-year-old infielder has slashed .242/.326/.462 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs. Baltimore is 76–47, 2.5 games clear of the Rays in a tight AL East race.
