Baltimore Orioles rookie third baseman Gunnar Henderson was a single away from a cycle in the eighth inning of the team's blowout win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, but he opted to go to second base for a double after hitting a ball into the corner, leaving his teammates confused in the dugout.

Gunnar Henderson explained why he passed up on the cycle, despite his team being up 10-1 in the eighth.

“It kind of went through my head before the at-bat if that situation happened then I'd just sit on the fact that if it was meant to be it would be a true single,” Henderson said, via Roch Kubatko of MASN. “I just play the game hard and a double opportunity was there, so I feel like that is just the way I play.”

Henderson has had a strong season, and is currently the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award in the American League. He is a big part of why the Orioles are where they are.

The Orioles' win over the Athletics moved them to 77-47. They are three games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East. Baltimore also has the best record in the American League.

The focus for the rest of the season for the Orioles will be to lock in the best record in the American League, while also trying to catch the Atlanta Braves for the best record in MLB, which would give the Orioles home field advantage in any potential World Series matchup.