Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays flips the script overnight

From a four-strikeout night to a four-at-bat cycle, the Baltimore Orioles star has seen it all in eight at-bats. Follow along as Austin Hays reverses the script.

Game two between the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals was cut short due to the sky opening up, but Austin Hays didn’t need all nine innings to create some Orioles Magic of his own. Through just four at-bats, THE DUDE became the 6th Oriole ever to hit for the cycle.

Hays joins an O’s list consisting of Jonathan Villar, Felix Pie, and Aubrey Huff to hit for the cycle since the year 2000. However, if you go even further back, Hays then joins the company of Cal Ripken Jr. and Brooks Robinson… nothing to shirk at here!

Anyone that follows the Baltimore Orioles religiously won’t be shocked by this feat, but what is shocking is how it all went down. For starters, Hays did it in just four at-bats. Aubry Huff had a similar night going 4-4, and Brooks Robinson took that stat even further by going 5-5 during his cycle night.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays flips the script overnight

Hays completed his cycle by going: single, homer, triple, and double; at least he didn’t save the hard stuff for last (laughing internally). Austin Hay’s magical night earns him the first cycle of his young, budding career, but it also comes at the perfect time.

Wednesday nights feat comes just 24 hours after earning the Golden Sombrero. For you uneducated types (kidding), this means he struck out four times in a single game. In our sensible research, we can tell you that, from the best of our knowledge, he is the only hitter ever to strike out four times the night before and then hit for the cycle the night following.

Going from 0-4 to 4-4 gets the proverbial monkey off of his back and is headed in the right direction. As Harry Ralston Black once said – “Hey, that’s baseball.” Baseball is a game where you look terrible one night and like an All-Star the next. Speaking of which, I think it’s about time we give Austin Hays the recognition he deserves!