Brock Holt achieved one of baseball’s rarer feats by hitting for the cycle Tuesday. He’s the 21st Red Sox player to do so and the first since Michael Cuddyer for the Rockies last August 17th.
Holt doubled in the 1st inning, singled in the 5th, hit a home run in the 7th, and tripled in his last at-bat in the 8th. In all, it was 4-for-5 for the day, his 6th career 4-hit game in 9 innings or less.
The last Red Sox to hit for the cycle was John Valentin on June 6, 1996 against the White Sox.
Holt’s feat was made all the more rare because he completed his cycle with arguably its hardest part, the triple. The last MLB player to do that was Alex Rios on September 23, 2013 with the Rangers and facing the Astros.
Bobby Doerr (right)
with Ted Williams, 1939
The last Red Sox batter to complete his cycle with a triple was Fred Lynn on May 13, 1980 against the Twins.
Pablo Sandoval is the only other current Red Sox player who has hit for the cycle. His came on September 15, 2011 with the Giants.
In Red Sox club history only one player, Bobby Doerr, hit for the cycle twice: May 17, 1944 (Game 2) against the Cardinals, and May 13, 1947 facing the White Sox.
Two Red Sox, Bob Watson in 1979 and Leon Cluberson in 1943, had “natural” cycles, hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in that order.