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Matt Kemp Hits For The Cycle

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  • Matt Kemp Hits For The Cycle

    Ninth-inning triple caps cycle for Padres' Matt Kemp

    DENVER -- Surely, Dave Winfield or Tony Gwynn hit for the cycle during their distinguished careers in San Diego.

    That's what Matt Kemp was thinking as he stood on third after a triple in the ninth to complete the rare feat. But those legendary Padres players never did. No one had until Kemp in San Diego's 7,444th game as a franchise.

    Kemp's history-making cycle lifted the Padres to a 9-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

    Kemp didn't even realize the magnitude of his accomplishment until he was brushing himself off after sliding into third base. His coach, Glenn Hoffman, explained to him this was the first one. He thought Hoffman meant it was the first for Kemp.

    "I was like, 'Yeah, that is my first one,'" said Kemp, who finished 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. "He said, 'No, that's the first one for the Padres.' I was like, 'Wow.' It's hard to believe, all the great hitters that have been here, Tony Gwynn and all those guys, haven't been able to hit for the cycle. I'm just glad to be able to do it."

    Scratch that off the Padres' list. Now the Miami Marlins are the only major league franchise without a cycle.

    What's next -- a no-hitter? San Diego is the only team in the majors without a no-no.

    "We just witnessed history," Jedd Gyorko said. "That was pretty cool. Matt was definitely locked in."

    Kemp had a two-run homer in the first, a single in the third and an RBI double in the seventh. His triple in the ninth went off the fence in center, and he easily made it to third.

    Out of breath, too.

    "I need to start running a little bit more," joked Kemp, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last December.

    In addition to his conversation with his third-base coach, Kemp was asked an interesting question by Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado: Would Kemp prefer the homer or the triple?

    "I like home runs, but that was my first cycle," Kemp said.

    According to the Padres, there have been 361 times when a player has finished one hit shy of the cycle. Of those, 258 times a player was a triple short.

    Kemp has been one hit shy of the cycle on five separate occasions, most recently on Sept. 26, 2012, when he was with the Dodgers and they were playing the Padres. He missed that one by a triple, too.

    "He showed tonight why he is the player he is," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "That was special, special to be part of. We won a game that went back and forth and had some miscues. He responded every at-bat."

    Kemp, 30, ignited a four-run rally in the seventh with a two-out, RBI double and Gyorko later followed with a three-run homer.

    The hit by Kemp in the pivotal seventh was a measure of redemption after a fluky outfield play allowed the Rockies to tie the game. Brandon Barnes' high fly landed between center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. and Kemp in right, with both expecting the other to catch it. Barnes hustled around the bases for a run-scoring triple.

    "Just a miscommunication, man," Kemp said.
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