BEST OF THE DAY
PITTSBURGH — Coming around second base in the seventh inning of the Pirates’ 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, John Jaso stumbled — then, he went for it.
Ninety feet later, Jaso, facing at right, was safe at third base with a triple to become the first player to hit a cycle in the 16-year history of PNC Park.
The triple off reliever Pedro Strop clinched the Pirates’ first cycle since Daryle Ward’s against the Cardinals in 2004.
An atypical cycle candidate, the former A’s catcher has neither big power nor speed, with seven homers and three triples in ’16. Jaso didn’t even realize what had happened until he’d done it.
“It didn’t really dawn on me until I was standing on the base,” he said.
Against Chicago starter Jake Arrieta (18-8), Jaso singled in the second inning, hit a three-run homer in the fourth and doubled in the fifth.