Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle for the first time in his career on Sunday night. The Astros lost to the Seattle Mariners 6-4, but fans and reporters were still lauding the incredible accomplishment on social media.
“Yordan Alvarez is the first Astros player to hit for the cycle since Jose Altuve on Aug. 28 in Boston last year,” said Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
” Yordan Alvarez hits for the cycle. First time in his career. Even Seattle Mariner fans are standing up and clapping for him. 👏” – @SportsVanessa.
“Yordan Alvarez just hit for the cycle. He becomes only the 2nd player to ever hit for the cycle in T-Mobile Park. Incredible stuff from #44” – @RooshWilliams.
Some great reactions from Seattle as Alvarez makes history. This is the 346th cycle in MLB history and the tenth in the 62-year history of the Houston franchise. The other cycle at T-Mobile Park in Seattle was Miguel Tejada for the Oakland Athletics in 2001. This was the second cycle of the season preceded only by Wyatt Langford's cycle on June 30.
There was also a big social media reaction to Alvarez's home run during Sunday's game. He stroked a no-doubter in the fourth inning that slammed off the upper deck. Yet StatCast originally said the ball only went 384 feet. Fans were confused, to say the least.
“Air Yordan!!!” – @JackBackNTheDay.
“I want to know the real distance 😭😭” – @HTownForeverr
Baseball Savant now has an updated number that feels much more appropriate. Alvarez's home run traveled 429 feet and would have been a home run in all 30 MLB parks.
Through a translator, Alvarez spoke with Space City Home Network on his history-making performance after the game. “Hitting a triple is probably the most difficult part of it but, ya know, when you come to the field it's not really something you think about like ‘hey I want to do the cycle.' Obviously to get a cycle you have to have a really good day, really great day, but yes it's not really something you come to the field thinking about.”
Yordan Alvarez heats up as Astros race toward playoffs
The Alvarez cycle was far from the only thing Astros fans had to cheer about this weekend. There is a tie atop the American League West with the Astros and Mariners after Houston took two out of three games to open the second half. That comes after a brutal start for the Astros where they were in last place of the West into May. After May 11, the Astros have the best record in all of baseball and have picked up 7.5 games on Seattle in the process. During that stretch, Alvarez is hitting a remarkable .338 with 12 home runs in 55 games.
Yordan Alvarez has continued to be one of the premier sluggers in the game this season. His home run on Sunday was his 20th of the season, putting him on pace for 31 long balls. If Alvarez hits the thirty mark, it will be the fourth consecutive season he has accomplished that. He already earned his third straight All-Star nod as a member of the American League squad this season. The emergence of Alvarez has kept the championship window open for the Astros as core members George Springer and Carlos Correa left.
The Astros now move on to face the Oakland Athletics for three games starting Monday. Following that, a 2017 World Series re-match with the Dodgers opens up their home schedule for the second half. The Astros and Mariners do not play again until the penultimate series of the season, slated for September 23-25.
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