Tigers Force Game 6 with Win over Rangers, Series Headed back to Arlington

What an awesome series so far.

Justin Verlander did his best over seven-plus innings Thursday night to keep the Detroit Tigers in the game. Meanwhile, the offense was behind him all the way and extended the series with a 7-5 win over the Texas Rangers to cut the Texas lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and shift the contest back to Arlington.

The Tigers managed to use a little teamwork to hit for the cycle during the sixth inning. In order. Ryan Raburn got on base with the single, Miguel Cabrera took care of the double, Victor Martinez nailed the triple, and Delmon Young crushed a two-run shot (his second of the game) to cap the deal and give Detroit a 6-2 lead. History was made during this series once again, as it became the first natural cycle ever to happen in the postseason.

Speaking of records, Nelson Cruz and his Boomstick hit a ridiculous fifth home run of the series, becoming the fifth player in history to do so, in the top of the eighth to bring the Rangers within three. They added another run on a Michael Young base hit in the ninth to make it 7-5, but the Tigers held on for the victory, even without Jose Valverde to shut it down.

Phil Coke got the final five outs for his first career postseason save. Way to go, buddy.

The Rangers will get another shot at punching their ticket to the World Series for the second straight season in Game 6 Saturday night in Texas. Derek Holland and Max Scherzer, both of whom have failed to get a decision this postseason, will face each other at 8:05pm ET on FOX.

[Detroit Free Press]

Kung Fu Panda: Hitting for the Cycle is Hard

Pablo Sandoval, in all of his 260-pound glory, hit for the cycle Thursday night in his team's 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field to mark their fifth straight win.

Kung Fu Panda completed the 25th cycle in Giants history with a two-run shot in the first inning off Jhoulys Chachin, a single in the second, a double in the fifth, and finally, a two-out triple in the sixth completed by an awesome head-first dive. Ridiculous.

While Sandoval's weight has been the main topic of conversation this season -- considering he dropped 45 pounds of lard in the offseason and gained most of it back already -- this is definitely a newsworthy story.

Panda had this to say about his rare feat:

"I was tired, but I was happy. It was the first time I've done the cycle in the big leagues, so I have to be happy."

Yeah... we're happy you survived without a little help from an oxygen tank.

[Baseball Nation]

Hitting for the Cycle: Popular These Days

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jason Kubel hit for the cycle -- highlighted by a grand slam -- to cap a dramatic seven-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning of his team's 11-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night.

As Bert Blyleven always says, you should never leave early.

Kubel hit an RBI double in the first before he singled in the third, tripled in the sixth and smoked the grand salami in the eighth. Well done.

Just the ninth Twin to ever accomplish the feat, Kubel's marks the third cycle to go down in just five days. First it was Orlando Hudson showing off on Monday before Ian Kinsler went nuts on Wednesday.

So, who's gonna hit one this Sunday?

[AP] | [Twinkie Town] | [Fantasy Baseball Flash] | [Sliding Into First]

Ian Kinsler Is an Animal

...but sometimes it happens twice in three days.

Texas Rangers slugger Ian Kinsler hit for the cycle Wednesday night in his team's current 15-4 ass-whoopin' over the Baltimore Orioles, just two days after Orlando Hudson became the first Dodger to do so in 39 years.

Welcome to Orlando

Los Angeles Dodgers fans sure do love their new second baseman.

Orlando Hudson accomplished one of the most difficult feats in baseball Monday, hitting for the cycle in his team's 11-1 rout of the San Francisco Giants.

"Dodger fans can’t expect this every day," he said, "The cycle is very hard. First of all, getting a hit is hard."

Tell that to his .389 OBP this season.

Hudson, who agreed to a free-agent deal in February after three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, completed the first big league cycle of the 2009 season with a sixth-inning triple off Brandon Medders. The 31-year old also singled in the first, homered in the third and doubled in the fourth, becoming the first Dodger since Wes Parker in 1970, the ninth in franchise history, and the first ever to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium.

Way to go, buddy!

[LA Times] | [Fanhouse] | [6-4-2] | [Mop Up Duty]

What the Hell Just Happened?

Cristian Guzman hit for the cycle. Yes.

Guz -- batting .303 on the year -- kicked off the evening with a solo shot in the first inning, which ignited a five-run show for his Washington Nationals. He was busted attempting to stretch a single into a double in the second, but nailed a two-bag RBI in the sixth to make up for it.

Cargo A-Gogo Has Only One Speed

Torii who? As a Minnesota Twins rookie, to hear your name in the same breath as Kirby Puckett's has got to be pretty sweet.

Speedy center fielder Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle Wednesday night during the Twins 13-1 pounding of the struggling Chicago White Sox, just a day after being one-hit by Gavin Floyd.

Gomez, who went 4-for-6 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored, homered off Mark Buehrle on the game’s third pitch, trucked around the bases like he had a chance of being thrown out. He showed off his wheels again in the fifth with an RBI triple, doubled in a run in the sixth and completed the cycle with an infield single to lead off a six-run ninth.

Acquired from the New York Mets in the Johan Santana trade, Gomez became just the eighth player in Twins history to hit for the cycle and the first since Puckett on Aug. 1, 1986... 8 months after GoGo was born in the Dominican Republic.

Livan Hernandez took a shutout into the ninth, allowing nine hits, striking out three and walking one in his first complete game since last May to give the Sox their seventh loss in eight games. Nick Punto drove in five to send Minnesota on its merry way to a tied series and its sixth victory in seven games for a 1.5-game lead in the AL Central.

But don't listen to me! This guy will tell you all about it in his own special way.

[Nick & Nick]

Hitting For The Cycle Is Hard

Aubrey Huff became the first Baltimore Orioles player to hit for the cycle Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels, since the great Cal Ripken did so in 1984.

Not only that, it was the first cycle ever hit by the O's at home and the first ever in Camden Yards history.

Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is the only other Orioles player besides Ripken and Huff to achieve the feat.

Huff joins the Giants' Fred Lewis and Oakland's Mark Ellis as the third big leaguer to hit for the cycle this season.

The lefty infielder tripled in the second inning, doubled in the fourth, hit a three-run homer in the fifth and singled in the seventh. He left for a pinch-runner after going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Huff is batting .263 with 5 homers and 35 RBIs, nearing the halfway point in the season.

[Oriole Post]