Cincinnati Reds left fielder JJ Bleday completed the cycle in six innings during the team's 11-5 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. Bleday, batting third in the lineup, hit a double in the first inning, a triple in the third, a single in the fourth, and a solo home run in the sixth to achieve the cycle.
Bleday, 28, found his career in question eight months prior when the Oakland Athletics did not tender him a contract. The Reds signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.4 million, a decision that has proven fruitful. He is currently in what may be the best season of his career and was considered prime trade bait at the Aug. 3 deadline, but the Reds opted to retain him.
Teammate Elly De La Cruz narrowly missed joining Bleday in the record books, finishing the game one triple shy of his own cycle. De La Cruz went 4-for-6 with a home run, a double, and two singles. If he had completed the cycle, they would have been the first teammates in MLB history to achieve the feat in the same game.
Bleday's sixth-inning home run was his 21st of the season, placing him second on the team behind Sal Stewart. He also leads the Reds in walks and is third in RBIs, despite starting the season in Triple-A. The Reds' offense has struggled overall this season, with the team currently last in their division and far from a wild card spot, hampered by rotation injuries and inconsistent offensive production outside of their top lineup trio.