ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Zack Greinke smacks his first career triple, giving him a rare season cycle
Zack Greinke has been raking.
The Arizona Diamondbacks ace on the mound has five extra base hits in six games and has already recorded a season cycle after launching the first triple of his career against the Pirates on Thursday.
He’s the first pitcher in baseball history to record a cycle in the opening month of the season.
Zack Greinke is definitely a #PitcherWhoRakes.
He’s the only pitcher since at least 1913 to have 5 XBH in March/April. pic.twitter.com/sI9C3EJp8V
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 25, 2019
Before the extra base hit Thursday, the last time a D-backs pitcher hit a triple was Archie Bradley in the 2017 NL Wild Card Game.
Greinke is tied with Madison Bumgarner of the Giants for the fourth-most extra base hits by a pitcher since 2004 behind just Adam Wainwright, Carlos Zambrano and Jason Marquis.
He became the only pitcher since at least 1913 to have five extra base hits in before the end of April, according to the MLB.
Greinke also tightened things up on the mound.
After giving up six home runs in his first two starts of the season, including seven earned runs in the season opener, he has settled down. Greinke racked up four wins in the month of April and improved his ERA in each of his five starts in the month.
Greinke pitched seven shutout innings against the Pirates giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters.
