PITTSBURGH (AP) — If the goal of swinging a bat is to hit the ball hard, then Oneil Cruz did it better than anyone.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie recorded the hardest-hit ball in the seven years that Major League Baseball has measured exit velocity, lashing a single that came off the bat at 122.4 mph in a 14-2 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Cruz stepped in to face Braves starter Kyle Wright with one …
