Sep 17, 2019
Biggio hits for cycle as Blue Jays beat Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle Tuesday, becoming just the third player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. Biggio capped his cycle with a two-run triple in the ninth inning of Toronto's 8-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Canadian Press
BALTIMORE — Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle, just like his dad.
Biggio homered in the third inning, singled in the sixth, doubled in the eighth and tripled in the ninth to boost the Toronto Blue Jays over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. The rookie drove in four runs and scored three times.
"I did know my dad had one," Cavan Biggio said. "I have a ticket to the game he got it in in my room my whole life. I didn't think I was going to get up there for the opportunity."
He got his first hit off Chandler Shepherd, the second against Shawn Armstrong, the third versus Richard Bleier and the last off Mychal Givens.
Craig Biggio hit for the cycle at Colorado's Coors Field on April 8, 2002, as part of a career that earned him induction into the Hall of Fame. He led off with a single against Denny Neagle, then tripled and homered off Neagle before doubling versus. Mike James in the eighth.
The only other father-son duo in major league history to hit for the cycle was Gary Ward for Minnesota at Milwaukee on Sept. 19, 1980, and Daryle Ward for Pittsburgh at St. Louis on May 26, 2004.
Cavan Biggio became the first player to hit for the cycle for Toronto since Jeff Fry against Texas on Aug. 17, 2001, and the first opponent to accomplish the feat in the 27-year history of Camden Yards.
"That was a crazy scene," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. "The whole dugout was cheering for him. A triple is hard to get in this ballpark. He was really going all out rounding second. He's aggressive at the plate and he's really doing better."
Trey Mancini and Jonathan Villar homered for last-place Baltimore, which lost for the third time in four games and dropped to 49-102.
Mancini finished with four RBIs. He hit his 34th homer in the first and snapped a tie with a run-scoring single off Justin Shafer in the seventh.
"I think everybody wants to finish the year strong," Mancini said. "It sounds cliché but it's honestly what I think about when I go up to the plate is to do what I can to help the team win and try to have a good at-bat."
The Blue Jays tied the game again when Biggio doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the eighth.
Justin Smoak put Toronto ahead when homered off Givens (2-6) leading off the ninth, Smoak's 21st homer and first since Aug. 27.
Biggio tacked on two more runs with a triple to before an error by Villar at shortstop allowed the eighth run to score.
Derek Law (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Randal Grichuk hit his 10th homer in 26 games against Baltimore.
Villar hit his 22nd home run off Ken Giles in the ninth.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was not happy about several gaffes his team made on the bases and defensively.
"I feel like for the most part this year we've competed our tails off. Just fell short quite a few times," Hyde said. "I just thought we made a lot of mistakes tonight. I thought we played like a really tired team. We need better effort."
REED
Former Baltimore Ravens safety and NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed threw out a ceremonial first pitch — a strike down the middle. Reed also handled grounders at shortstop during Orioles batting practice.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Jordan Romano (elbow) is expected to throw Wednesday and could pitch this weekend if there are no setbacks, according to Montoyo.
Orioles: DH Mark Trumbo was scratched because of neck and back tightness but was available off the bench. ... INF Renato Núñez was hit by a pitch in his left hand Monday in Detroit and was not in the lineup. . CF Mason Williams crashed headfirst into the wall on Biggio's triple but did not show any signs of a concussion, Hyde said.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Clay Buchholz (1-5, 5.63 ERA) is 1-3 with a 4.47 ERA since returning from a shoulder injury Aug. 25. He is 11-7 with a 3.76 ERA over 23 games (20 starts) against the Orioles but is facing them for the first time since 2016.
Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (6-14, 4.99 ERA) was pushed back a day and will make his team-leading 29th start. Bundy is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against Toronto this season.
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