Twins’ Buxton, Derby participant, hits for cycle

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Twins All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton hit for the cycle Saturday in a 12-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The cycle was the first at Target Field since the ballpark opened in 2010. It was the first cycle by a Twins player since Jorge Polanco had one in 2019.

Buxton had three hits through three innings — a single in the first, a triple in the six-run second and a double in the third. After singling again in the fifth, he had one more opportunity in the bottom of the seventh.

Buxton, who will participate in next week’s Home Run Derby, crushed a 427-foot solo homer off Pirates reliever Andrew Heaney with two outs in the seventh to make it an 11-3 game and complete the cycle. That brought the Target Field crowd to its feet, with many having received a Buxton bobblehead in the giveaway at the park.

The cycle-completing homer for Buxton was his 21st home run of the season, tied for fifth most in the American League.

Buxton was replaced in center field after the seventh inning, but not before receiving a standing ovation curtain call from the Twins fans in attendance.