Thursday, August 9, 2018

Mookie Betts Hits For The Cycle in Rare Red Sox Loss

The Boston Red Sox snapped a six game winning streak with an 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. But it wasn't an entirely disappointing evening as Mookie Betts hit for the cycle.

Betts led off the game with a single off Jays starter Ryan Borucki. He added a triple in the 2nd and a double in the 4th also off Borucki. Betts reached base by way of a walk off Jaime Garcia. The home run, Betts' 27th of the season, came in the 9th inning off newly acquired Ken Giles to bring the Sox within 3 runs of Toronto. However, Giles would strike out out Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland to end the game.

This was the first cycle of the 2018 season. There were seven cycles in 2017. Prior to tonight, it had last been done by Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu in an interleague game against the San Francisco Giants last September. The last Red Sox player to hit for the cycle was Brock Holt in an interleague game against the Atlanta Braves in June 2015.

On a personal note, in nearly 40 years of watching baseball, this is only the second cycle I've ever seen from start to finish. The other was by Chris Singleton back in July 1999 when he was with the Chisox. He did it against the Kansas City Royals. I remember that he hit the single, double, triple and the home run in sequence.

As for Betts, the cycle only adds to his growing legend.


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