Pittsburgh’s PNC Park is already one of the most picturesque ballparks in Major League Baseball. But its design also helps to make player feats look particularly majestic, such as when a batter hit a home run entirely out of the park in right field and into the Allegheny River.
Pirates superstar shortstop Oneil Cruz was the latest to do so in the first inning of Saturday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, cranking a ball 445 feet (with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph) into the Allegheny off pitcher Zach Eflin.
However, that was the second time Cruz hit one into the river this month. He also reached the water on June 6, teeing off on Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips.
Cruz has actually hit three homers into the Allegheny this season, also soaking the ball on May 3 against Colorado Rockies reliever Jalen Beeks.
Cruz’s river shot on Saturday was the 75th home run to go into the Allegheny during the 24-year history of PNC Park, according to MLB.com. Forty-nine players in total have reached the river, but Cruz is only the sixth to hit one into the water on the fly – all by Pirates hitters.
With four of his home runs landing in the Allegheny, Cruz joins Garrett Jones, Pedro Álvarez and Josh Bell as the other Pittsburgh batters to hit that many entirely out of the ballpark.
Altogether, 40 Pirates homers have gone into the Allegheny, blasted by 19 batters. Opposing players have reached the river 35 times, hit by 32 different batters. And two players – Matt Stairs and Daryle Ward –have hit balls into the water from PNC Park as home and visiting batters.
Cruz now has 10 homers on the season, second-most among Pirates hitters, batting .244 with a .725 OPS, 15 doubles and 31 RBI.
