Baltimore Orioles DH Gunnar Henderson will have to make baseball history another day

Gunnar Henderson got here to the plate within the high of the eighth inning for the Baltimore Orioles with an opportunity to make historical past.

He did maybe the funniest factor potential as an alternative.

The Orioles designated hitter strode to the plate with the Orioles blowing out the Oakland A’s 10-1, and having already homered, tripled, and doubled on the afternoon. Henderson wanted only a single to hit for the cycle. That will have made Henderson simply the fifth participant to perform that feat this season, and solely the 344th participant in all of MLB historical past to tug off a cycle.

Henderson gave himself an opportunity, roping a line drive down the right-field line however … he didn’t cease at first:

As an alternative, Henderson legged out a double, giving himself 4 further base hits on the afternoon. As you may see from the tip of the clip, even his teammates have been confused, gesturing from the dugout that he ought to have simply stayed at first base.

Following the sport, Henderson admitted that he thought of a single — and the cycle — earlier than his at-bat. Nevertheless, with an opportunity for a double, he was not going to cross that up. “It form of went by means of my head earlier than the at-bat … however I simply play the sport arduous,” Henderson mentioned. ”A double, the chance was there. That was simply the way in which I play. Wasn’t meant to be.”

The Orioles went on to win 12-1, finishing a three-game sweep of the A’s. That victory capped off a nine-game West Coast swing that noticed Baltimore go 6-3, sweeping Oakland and taking two-of-three from the Seattle Mariners. Baltimore stays atop the AL East with a 77-47 file, placing them 30 video games above .500 for the primary time since 2014.

Baltimore has a three-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays within the division.

And a teenager prepared to cross up historical past.