“The curse of David Bell is over” – Fans celebrate J.T Realmuto becoming first catcher since 2011 to complete cycle despite 9-8 loss to D-Backs
J.T. Realmuto registered his name in MLB history books as he completed the cycle in a tough 9-8 loss to the D-Backs. He is the first catcher since 2011 to accomplish this feat.
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J.T. Realmuto (Pic Credit: ESPN)
Hitting in baseball seems harder than it actually looks. Recording even a single hit can sometimes take the pressure off someone’s shoulder. Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T Realmuto had gone 0-for-13 in his previous four games. On Monday night he finally recorded his first hit in over five games. After that, he went on do something more extraordinary. He went on to hit for the cycle.
The game was filled with tensions from the early get-go as Corbin Carroll of the D-Backs was stuck twice by pitcher Matt Strahm. Realmuto was caught up in a heated exchange with the opposition manager Torey Louvello, which got the latter ejected. After pulling out a double in the ninth inning, Realmuto became the first catcher to record the cycle since 2011.
In baseball, there are few things that are hard to accomplish. Hitting for the cycle is one of that things. In simple words, a player is said to have “hit for the cycle” when he records a single, a double, a triple, and a home run. He started off with a solo home run in the first inning and followed it with a triple in the third inning.
He would later record a single and complete this achievement with a double in the ninth. His efforts though went in vain as the Phillies lost the game 9-8, despite being 5-1 ahead at one stage. As per reports from ESPN, the two teams managed to put up 25 hits with a total of 10 extra-base hits in the game.
J.T. Realmuto becomes the ninth Phillies player to hit for the cycle
A player hitting for the cycle does not guarantee a victory. J.T. Realmuto becomes one of the few unfortunate ones to see his side lose the game in spite of his heroic performance. It is still a historic moment though. Realmuto is now the ninth Phillies hitter to record a cycle and the first since David Bell did so for the team in 2004.
He may have lost the game, but he did win the hearts of the fans. A reason he was so agitated could be his earlier spat with Torey Luvollo. The verbal exchange between them was followed by the benches being cleared. Fortunately, the scene did not escalate into further brawl. Here are the reactions from social media regarding his huge achievement.
Realmuto is now the third batter to record a cycle this season after Luis Arraez and Cedric Mullins. The Phillies will now be hoping to bounce back against the NL West leaders as they gear for the second outing of the series. The defending National League champions have so far failed to replicate the heroics of last year, but there is still plenty of time do so.
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Vinay Dave
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