Gunnar Henderson was too good to hit for the cycle Sunday.
The rookie was a single away from recording the eighth cycle in Orioles historic previous when he bought right here to bat throughout the eighth inning, nonetheless he was hitting the ball too onerous for singles. Henderson roped a 103.6 mph double down the becoming space line, deciding on to sprint to second for his fourth extra-base hit of the afternoon pretty than preserve up at first for the cycle.
Henderson’s near-cycle — a 4-for-5 day with two doubles, a triple and a homer — propelled Baltimore to a 12-1 win over the Athletics and the Orioles’ eighth assortment sweep of the season. The 22-year-old is the eleventh participant in Orioles historic previous with 4 extra-base hits in a sport and the first since Melvin Mora in 2008. Solely two completely different Baltimore avid gamers — Chris Richard, moreover a rookie, in 2000 and Don Baylor in 1973 — have tallied 4 extra-base hits with at least one double, triple and residential run.
The four-hit sport is the second of Henderson’s nascent career. In early July, he went 4-for-7 with two prolonged balls in a blowout win over the Yankees in New York.
The dominant effectivity was the latest for a participant who’s blossoming into not merely the front-runner to win the American League Rookie of the 12 months Award, however moreover perhaps the Orioles’ best participant. His 3.8 wins above substitute on Baseball Reference coming into Sunday — a amount that may completely rise after he totaled 11 bases — tops the employees.
Henderson powered an offense that totaled 17 hits. Ryan Mountcastle hit a three-run homer throughout the fourth with a deep blast to left-center space. Jorge Mateo didn’t should clear the fence to across the bases with an inside-the-park residence run throughout the second.
Beginning pitcher Kyle Bradish maintained his standing as a result of the Orioles’ best rotation member — and perhaps certainly one of many Junior Circuit’s prime starters — with eight strikeouts in six shutout innings. His 3.03 ERA is tied for the AL lead amongst licensed starting pitchers.
Baltimore is 77-47 and three video video games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays atop the AL standings. The ultimate time the Orioles had been 30 video video games over .500 was in 2014 — the ultimate time the membership acquired the AL East.
This story will in all probability be updated.
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