CHICAGO (AP) — Tristan Peters didn’t have much time to think about his chances to hit for the cycle. But when the Chicago White Sox rookie came up for a second time in the seventh inning Friday night, he knew what to do.
Needing a triple for the cycle after homering earlier in the seventh, Peters hit a hard grounder past Athletics first baseman Joey Meneses and down the right-field line. He never hesitated as he rounded second — ignoring a stop sign from third base coach Justin Jirschele — and beat the relay throw with a headfirst slide into third, drawing a huge ovation.
“When I hit the ball, I was thinking three,” he said.
Peters became the first White Sox player to hit for the cycle since José Abreu on Sept. 9, 2017, and the fifth in major league history to do it from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. The way he did it was even more rare.
According to MLB, Peters became just the third player since 1961 to get two hits in the same inning to complete the cycle. The others were Felix Pie in 2009 and Jim Ray Hart in 1970.
“It’s No. 1, for sure,” Peters said when asked where it ranked among his career achievements. “That was incredible. It’s awesome, amazing.”
The 26-year-old from Canada made his big league debut last Aug. 8. This was his 93rd career game. He raised his batting average to .303 with his 4-for-4 night, driving in four runs and scoring two as the White Sox beat the Athletics 14-1.
“It’s impressive, there haven’t been too many of those,” Chicago manager Will Venable said. “Those are pretty rare, and Tristan has done such a good job of playing the right way — putting swings on good pitches to hit.”
Surprising Chicago remained atop the AL Central, percentage points ahead of Cleveland.
Peters was stranded at second after his two-out double to center in the third. In the fifth, his run-scoring single to right made it 2-0.
In the seventh, Peters followed Kyle Teel’s leadoff walk with a two-run homer. His triple drove in the last run of an eight-run inning in which the White Sox sent 12 men to the plate.
He’s the third major leaguer to hit for the cycle this season, joining the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Phillies’ Bryce Harper.
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