FanPost

Cubs' cycles in an inning, Part 2

Second of 2 posts

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Between Opening Day of 1915 and Closing Day of 2022, the Cubs hit for a cycle in an inning at least 89 times.

"At least" is because baseball-reference.com does not have play-by-play for games between 1915 and 1959 in which Cubs hit 265 triples, by far the rarest of the hits in a cycle. (It also is missing 1 such game in 1965.)

Those 265 triples are 1 of every 9 that the Cubs hit during those 45 seasons.

I would have to check newspaper stories for each game in which they hit those triples, which would take a very long time.

So, for now, I'm content to say "at least" 89 times.

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The first of the 89 cycles in an inning took place on April 21, 1922.

The most recent was on May 31, 2022.

Both were among the cycles described in detail in the previous post.

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CYCLE BY FIRST 4 BATTERS

The cycle on May 31 was just the 5th of the 89 in which the first 4 batters produced each of the required hits. All 5 games came at Wrigley Field:

Aug. 6, 1937, vs. Bees (today's Braves), 6th inning: Frank Demaree doubled, Billy Herman singled him home, Gabby Hartnett homered and Bill Jurges tripled

Aug. 3, 1939, vs. Phillies, 4th inning: Hank Leiber homered, Bill Nicholson tripled, Rip Russell singled and Bobby Mattick doubled

July 6, 1967, vs. Mets, 3rd inning: Paul Popovich singled, Norm Gigon tripled, Billy Williams doubled and Ron Santo homered

Aug. 1, 2012, vs. Pirates, 9th inning: Bryan LaHair doubled, Jeff Baker tripled, Wellington Castillo homered and Luis Valbuena singled

May 31, 2022, vs. Brewers, 6th inning: Nick Madrigal singled, P.J. Higgins homered, Christopher Morel tripled and Willson Contreras doubled.

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CYCLE BY 4 STRAIGHT BATTERS

In 3 other games, the Cubs got all 4 kinds of hits in a row, but not at the start of the inning:

June 17, 1979, at San Diego, 1st inning: after 2 groundouts, Bill Buckner doubled and went to third on a passed ball, then Dave Kingman homered, Jerry Martin tripled and Mike Vail singled

June 2, 1983, vs. Pirates, 8th inning: after 2 groundouts, Mel Hal tripled, Ryne Sandberg homered, Bill Buckner singled and Ron Cey doubled

May 25, 1993, vs. Giants, 4th inning: after a foul out and a strikeout, Jose Vizcaino singled, then Mark Grace tripled and scored on a passed ball. Ryne Sandberg homered and Derrick May doubled

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The Cubs began only 1 more inning with back-to-back outs, then completed a cycle:

June 18, 1929, vs. Cardinals, 5th inning: after a lineout to right and a fly to left, Charlie Grimm tripled and Mike Gonzalez walked. Pitcher Sheriff Blake singled home Grimm, then Clyde Beck doubled home Gonzalez and Blake. Two more walks loaded the bases for Hack Wilson, who hit a grand slam.

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In 41 of the 89 innings in which the Cubs hit for a cycle, their first 4 hits of the inning were 1 of each kind.

In 34 of the 41, those were their only 4 hits of the inning.

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FINISHING WITH A BANG

Wilson's 1929 wallop was the first of 3 grand slams during a cycle in an inning -- and the only 1 that completed the cycle.

The second came 10 years and 4 days later, on June 22, 1939, in the second inning at home against the Bees.

After a groundout, Jim Gleeson doubled and Dick Bartell singled. Pitcher Dizzy Dean was called out on interference, but Stan Hack singled home a run, Billy Herman walked and Augie Galan homered. Carl Reynolds' triple then completed the cycle.

The only slam in an inning with a cycle since then was on July 8, 1987, at home vs. the Padres.

The Cubs fell behind, 0-7, midway through the third inning and were down, 4-8, when they came up in the eighth.

Keith Moreland singled, Jody Davis and Manny Trillo walked, and Jim Sundberg tied the score with his slam.

A single, a bunt and an intentional walk followed. Pinch hitter Bob Dernier singled, breaking the tie. A popup left runners on first and second with 2 out.

Future Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage entered the game as San Diego's fourth pitcher of the inning. Moreland greeted him with an RBI double.

Another run scored on a passed ball, then Davis tripled, completing the cycle and driving in the eighth run of the inning.

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That was among 23 cycles in an inning in which a triple was the last of the 4 required hits. Home runs completed 12.

On the other hand, only 2 of the 89 cycles began with a home run and triple before any other hits: the one vs. the Phillies on Aug. 3, 1939, cited earlier, and one also at home, vs. the Braves, on June 10, 1976, that went walk, bunt, homer, triple, groundout, single, double, walk, single, ground out.

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RUNS IN INNINGS WITH CYCLES

The 8-run inning in 1987 was the middle of just 3 in which the Cubs hit for a cycle while posting a "snow man" on the scoreboard.

On May 20, 1980, the Cubs tied the Reds at 4 in the top of the ninth on a 1-out RBI single by Lenny Randle.

The next 17 batters made outs, until Randle doubled to open the 12th.

Ivan de Jesus singled home Randle, then stole second.

After pitcher Bruce Sutter struck out, Dave Kingman's single scored de Jesus.

Mario Soto relieved Tom Hume and stayed only long enough to walk Jerry Martin and Barry Foote. Dave Tomlin took over and served up a 3-run triple to Mike Vail, who came home moments later on a sacrifice fly by Larry Biittner.

Mike Tyson singled, then Randle homers to complete the cycle and the 8-run barrage.

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On May 9, 2018, the Cubs hit for a cycle in another 8-run inning.

The Cubs led the Marlins, 1-0, when Addison Russell doubled leading off the third. A bunt and a walk to Albert Almora Jr. brought up Kris Bryant, who doubled home Russell.

Javier Baez singled, scoring Almora, and Anthony Rizzo homered.

Willson Contreras tripled to complete the cycle. He scored on a sacrifice fly by David Bote, after which Ian Happ walked and Russell homered.

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That game was the Cubs' last with a cycle in an inning before May 31 of this year.

It was the most recent of 13 in which they hit 2 home runs in the inning, and of 7 in which the second homer came after they had completed the cycle.

The first 5 of those came in 1937-67. The only subsequent one before 2018 was in 1999.

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The most runs the Cubs have scored in an inning while hitting for a cycle is 9, at St. Louis, on June 8, 1986.

The Cubs broke open a scoreless game in the fifth by scoring 3 runs on 4 hits. The last 2 were a 2-out RBI double by Davey Lopes and an RBI double by Ryne Sandberg on which he was thrown out trying to reach second on the throw home.

The score remained 3-0 when Keith Moreland walked to begin the sixth.

After Gary Mathews lined out, the next 10 Cubs reached base:

Leon Durham tripled (1 run scored, 4-0)

Jerry Mumphrey was walked intentionally

Steve Lake singled (5-0)

Pitcher Steve Trout singled, loading the bases

Shawon Dunston single (6-0)

Lopes singled (7-0)

Sandberg singled home 2 runs (9-0)

Moreland homered (12-0)

Matthews doubled, completing the cycle

Durham walked

Mumphrey lined into a double play, pitcher to first baseman

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BREAKDOWN OF RUNS IN INNING WITH CYCLE

Here is how many times the Cubs scored a specific number of runs in an inning while hitting for the cycle:

2: 2

3: 13

4: 17

5: 26

6: 18

7: 9

8: 3

9: 1

That adds up to 445 runs, an average of exactly 5

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How does a team hit for the cycle in an inning and score just 2 runs?

On April 22, 1934, at St. Louis, the Cubs did it by getting a triple and a homer to start the fourth inning. A single, a strikeout, an out, a double, an intentional walk and an out followed.

It didn't matter much, as the Cubs already led, 6-0, en route to a 15-2 victory.

On July 9, 1961, the Cubs hosted the Phillies in a doubleheader. In Game 1, they gave up 3 runs in the top of the first, then scored 6 in the bottom, on a double, 3 singles, an error, a sacrifice fly and a home run.

Al Heist had grounded out to begin the first. He led off the fourth with a homer. Jerry Kindall singled, Ernie Banks hit into a 5-4-3 double play, George Altman tripled and Billy Williams doubled. Ron Santo flied out to end the inning. The Cubs ultimately lost, 8-9.

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INNING NUMBER OF CYCLES IN INNING

Here is how many times in each specific inning the Cubs have hit for a cycle, followed in parentheses by how many were at home and on the road:

1st: 16 (5/11)

2nd: 8 (6/2)

3rd: 11 (9/2)

4th: 13 (10/3)

5th: 12 (7/5)

6th: 12 (6/6)

7th: 2 (1/1)

8th: 10 (7/3)

9th: 4 (3/1)

12th: 1 (1/0)

Tot: 89 (54/35)

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The 12th-inning cycle, at Cincinnati in 1980, was described above.

So was the last of the cycles in the bottom of the ninth, against the Pirates in 2012. What wasn't described then: the Cubs scored 3 runs in the inning, which only served to make the final score a more respectable 4-8.

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CYCLES IN BOTTOM OF NINTH

Their first bottom-of-ninth cycle was on July 8, 1938. The Cubs were down to the Reds, 1-6, with their only run on a leadoff homer by Frank Demaree in the seventh.

Ken O'Dea matched Demaree's homer to start the ninth.

Pinch hitter Gabby Hartnett singled and Demaree doubled, knocking out pitcher Paul Derringer.

One run scored on Phil Cavarretta's groundout; another, on a wild pitch by Joe Cascarella.

Walks to pinch hitters Augie Galan and Tony Lazzeri set the stage for a cycle-completing, game-tying triple by Stan Hack.

Two intentional walks brought up O'Dea, who flied to left. Hack headed home after the catch, but was tagged out.

A 1-out homer in the 10th won the game for the Reds, 9-8.

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The Cubs' only other cycle in the bottom of the ninth until 2012 came in a game that spanned nearly 4 months of 1986.

On April 20, the Cubs met the Pirates in the Sunday finale of a weekend series.

The Cubs trailed, 0-1; led, 3-1, trailed, 3-5; and were tied at 5 -- all in the first 4 innings.

Then the Pirates tallied a run in the fifth and 2 in the seventh. They did not score in the next 2 innings, leaving the score at 8-5.

Pitcher Bob Walk had held the Cubs hitless since entering the game with 1 out in the fourth.

But pinch hitter Thad Bosley led off the ninth with a triple and Davey Lopes followed with a double. Jim Winn then replaced Walk.

After Winn threw a wild pitch, sending Lopes to third, he struck out Shawon Dunston and Ryne Sandberg.

With the Cubs 1 out from defeat, Keith Moreland slammed a game-tying home run.

Leon Durham singled, completing the cycle, before a groundout ended the inning.

The Cubs left the bases loaded in the 11th.

The Pirates did the same in the 13th.

Dunston was thrown out as he tried to steal second with 2 out in the Cubs' 13th. The game then was suspended due to darkness.

It was resumed the next time the Pirates came to Wrigley Field -- which wasn't until Aug. 11, almost 4 months later.

The Cubs loaded the bases with 1 out in the 16th but could not break the stalemate.

Then the Pirates did in the 17th, on a leadoff double and 1-out intentional walk and a 2-out single by Barry Bonds on which an outfield error let both runs score.

All 3 Cubs struck out in the bottom half, ending an 8-10 loss that took 6 hours and 9 minutes. The Cubs used 25 players, 10 of them pitchers; the Pirates, 22 and 7. There were 33 hits, 15 walks and 30 strikeouts.

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CYCLE IN TOP OF NINTH

The Cubs' lone cycle in the top of the ninth took place at Pittsburgh, so 3 of their 4 ninth-inning cycles were against the Pirates.

On Aug. 26, 1961, the Cubs fell behind, 1-3, on a 2-run homer in the sixth.

With 2 out in the eighth, Billy Williams singled and Ron Santo doubled him home. The Pirates brought in relief ace Roy Face, who struck out the next batter, leaving the Cubs behind by a run.

But Dick Bertell led off the ninth with a homer off Face.

Richie Ashburn singled and Al Heist belted a triple, tying the score.

Heist held at third as Don Zimmer grounded out, then raced home on a single by Ernie Banks that gave the Cubs a 4-3 lead and knocked out Face.

George Altman greeted Bobby Shantz with a booming double, completing the cycle and driving in Banks.

Altman moved to third on a groundout by Williams and tallied the Cubs' fifth run of the inning on a passed ball.

Bob Anderson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to wrap up the dramatic 7-3 victory.

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