Key keywords: Oneil Cruz, PNC Park on-the-fly splashdown, 7th splashdown PNC Park history, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2024 MLB regular season, Allegheny River home run, MLB power hitting highlights Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz delivered one of the most electrifying moments of the 2024 MLB regular season on Wednesday night, crushing a 118-mph line drive home run that soared directly into the Allegheny River beyond PNC Park’s right-field bleachers, making him just the 7th player in the stadium’s 24-year history to record an on-the-fly splashdown. The historic blast came in the bottom of the third inning, with Cruz facing Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta on a 2-1 count. The 6-foot-7 shortstop connected perfectly with Peralta’s 95-mph four-seam fastball, sending the ball 458 feet into the evening air before it splashed down in the river without touching any part of the stadium or surrounding walkways, a feat officially verified by MLB’s Statcast team moments after the hit. Prior to Cruz’s homer, only 6 players had ever notched an on-the-fly river splashdown at PNC Park since the venue opened in 2001: Daryle Ward (2002), Craig Wilson (2004), Garrett Jones (2013), Andrew McCutchen (2017), Giancarlo Stanton (2018), and Bryan Reynolds (2022). Cruz’s blast is also the hardest-hit home run to ever land directly in the Allegheny River, surpassing Stanton’s 115.6-mph hit six years prior. The Pirates went on to win the matchup 8-3, with Cruz finishing the night 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 9 games. Fans in attendance immediately erupted in cheers as soon as the ball cleared the right field wall, with dozens of fans waiting in kayaks and small boats in the river below scrambling to retrieve the historic souvenir. A 28-year-old Pirates fan from nearby Butler, Pennsylvania, ultimately caught the ball, telling reporters after the game he plans to get it signed by Cruz and display it in his home rather than sell it. Pirates manager Derek Shelton praised Cruz’s performance in post-game press remarks, noting, “We all know how special Oneil’s power is, but to hit a ball that hard that far without touching anything before the river? That’s the kind of play you tell your grandkids about. He’s putting together an incredible season for us, and moments like this are why we’re so excited to watch him develop.” As of Thursday morning, clips of the splashdown homer had amassed over 12 million views across social media platforms, with MLB naming it the top play of the week across the league.