It should be accompanied by an asterisk, but Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt hit for the first cycle in MLB postseason history last night as Boston rolled over the Yankees 16-1 in the Bronx.
Holt finished the feat by knocking a two-run bomb in the ninth inning off Austin Romine — a backup catcher by trade, hence the asterisk.
The sight of Romine on the mound did little to dampen Holt’s enthusiasm for his cycle bid.
“You get a little antsy when a position player is on the mound. I told everyone, ’Get me up. I need a home run for a cycle,’” Holt said. “I scooted up in the box a little bit, and I was going to be swinging at anything and try to hook anything. Obviously, you don’t expect to hit a home run, but I was trying to. I was trying to hit a home run. That’s probably the first time I’ve ever tried to do that. I rounded the bases, and seeing everyone going nuts in the dugout was a pretty cool moment for me.”
Single. Double. Triple. Homer.
Brock Holt collects the first cycle in MLB postseason history. #RedSox pic.twitter.com/99rdN22Dld
— Today in MLB (@TodayintheMLB) October 9, 2018
The home run was nice, but Holt’s most important hit of the night was the two-run triple he notched on the heels of a three-run double by outfielder Andrew Benintendi in a seven-run fourth inning that opened the game up for the Sox.
Boston pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was a rock on the mound and helped the Sox hand the Yankees their most lopsided defeat in 396 postseason games.
After the game, Holt was told about what he had accomplished. “This one I’ll remember for a long time,” he said. “Obviously, you don’t go into the game expecting to make history or do anything like that, let alone score 16 runs.”
Game 4 is Tuesday night in the Bronx with Rick Porcello scheduled to pitch against New York lefty CC Sabathia.
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