Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve recorded the franchise's first cycle since 2013 on Monday night in a blowout victory against the Boston Red Sox (box score).
Altuve doubled in the third inning, singled in the fifth, tripled in the sixth, and then homered in the eighth to complete the feat. Altuve drove in four runs, tying him with Yordan Alvarez for the most among Astros players.
Here's the home run in its full motion picture glory:
Jose Altuve homers to complete the cycle!
— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2023
The first @Astros cycle since 2013. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5uoxu9kjBf
Altuve, 33, entered Monday hitting .314/.409/.500 (149 OPS+) with nine home runs, 30 RBI, and 13 stolen bases (on 15 attempts) in 61 games. Of course, he missed the onset of the season recovering from a fractured thumb that he suffered during spring's World Baseball Classic.
The last Astro to hit for the cycle was Brandon Barnes on July 19, 2013. Barnes accomplished the feat against the Seattle Mariners. Overall, this represents the ninth cycle in franchise history. Here's a list of the others, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart:
- César Cedeño: Aug. 2, 1972
- César Cedeño, Aug. 9, 1976
- Bob Watson, June 24, 1977
- Andújar Cedeño, Aug. 25, 1992
- Jeff Bagwell, July 18, 2001
- Craig Biggio, April 8, 2002
- Luke Scott, July 28, 2006
- Brandon Barnes, July 19, 2013
- Jose Altuve, Aug. 28, 2023
Other players who have hit for the cycle this season include Luis Arraez (Miami Marlins), Cedric Mullins (Baltimore Orioles), J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia Phillies), and Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds).
