Brock Holt Becomes First Player To Ever Hit For Cycle During Postseason
BOSTON (CBS) -- Brock Holt wasn't in the Red Sox' starting lineup in Game 1. Ditto for Game 2. The utility man didn't even get a pinch-hitting opportunity. He didn't even get to play the field.
But Holt was in the lineup in Game 3.
He's likely to stay there for at least one more night.
That's because Holt made history on Monday, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit for the cycle in a postseason game.
In a 16-1 rout of the Yankees in the Bronx, Holt was the Red Sox' offensive star. He went 4-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He capped off his night in a memorable way, belting a homer in the ninth inning (albeit off catcher Austin Romine, making his pitching debut) to complete the cycle.
Holt hadn't played in over a week, and he was asked on the field by TBS' Lauren Sehadi how he was able to have that type of performance after the long layoff.
"I don't know. I don't know -- I was kind of wondering that same thing," Holt said. "Just trying to stay ready when your name's called, do what you can to help out. Tonight's a night I'll remember for a long time."
Holt's night began by grounding out in the second inning, but his night changed drastically in the fourth. He led off that inning with a single to shallow center, and later came around to score the fourth run of the night for Boston.
Later in the fourth, Holt stepped to the plate with two runners on base, and he brought them both home when he ripped a triple deep down the right field line.
Holt grounded out in the sixth but hit a ground-rule double to deep right-center field in the eighth inning, extending the Red Sox' lead to 12-1 at the time.
The Red Sox kept pouring it on, which allowed Holt to get a chance at one more at-bat on the night. Holt got his chance after Ian Kinsler drew a two-out walk against Romine, and he made the most of it, sending the first pitch over the right field wall.
Holt's own piece of history was part of a larger piece of history, as the Red Sox' 16-1 win was the largest margin of victory ever for a Red Sox-Yankees playoff game.
"That was a fun night," Holt told Shehadi. "Offensively, we were clicking on all cylinders. Put together a lot of good at-bats and it was fun."