PNC Park has been the beautiful home to the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2001, and there had never been a cycle hit for at the ballpark, until the Pirates’ John Jaso accomplished that feat on Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs.
What made it even more impressive, is that the cycle came against 2015 NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and nasty reliever Pedro Strop, two of the most difficult pitchers to hit in all of baseball. Jaso singled, doubled, and homered off Arrieta, before hitting for a triple vs Strop to complete the cycle in the 7th inning.
Now, the triple could’ve easily been a double. The ball first got stuck under the center field wall and would’ve probably been ruled a ground-rule double had Cubs rookie center fielder Albert Almora put his hands up to alert the umpires, and then his throw to the cutoff man as well off the mark where you could argue that it was a double with a throwing error on Almora. But, on a debatable ruling for a cycle, you understand that a hometown scorekeeper is likely to side with the home team’s player.
Here’s video of Jaso’s cycle:
John Jaso’s cycle in all its glory. pic.twitter.com/zw5iRmd6iJ
— Pirates (@Pirates) September 29, 2016
In addition to being the first cycle in PNC Park history, it’s also the first cycle by a Pirate since 2004 when Daryle Ward did it. And here’s a really incredible nugget: Jaso is only the second player in baseball history to catch a perfect game (catching Felix Hernandez with the Mariners in 2013) and hit for the cycle.
John Jaso is just the second player in baseball history to both catch a perfect game and hit of the cycle. Ray Schalk did both in 1922. — Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) September 29, 2016
[MLB]
