Mike Trout became the sixth Angels player to hit for the cycle when he turned the trick in a 12-0 blowout win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Trout showcased his diverse talents while achieving the milestone. He beat out an infield single to the right side in the third, drilled a triple to center in the fourth, roped a 3-run double down the left field line in the sixth, and he homered to center in the eighth on a low pitch to complete the cycle.
Trout’s grounder in the third would have been an out for most batters, but he was able to get a hit on it because of his elite speed. He also stretched what would have been a double for most people into a triple. And he showed his elite hitting ability by pulling an outside fastball down the line for a double, and by driving a pitch low in the zone out to deep center. Strength, speed, power, contact — Trout has all the tools.
Trout, 21, is the youngest player in the AL to hit for the cycle. He went 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs. The last Angels player to hit for the cycle was Chone Figgins in 2006. I’m guessing Trout will be able to stick around in the bigs a wee bit longer than Figgy did.
The other good signs for the Angels were that Erick Aybar hit two doubles and Josh Hamilton hit a home run. Hamilton now has at least one hit in seven of the team’s last eight games, which is a pretty big deal considering he hit .204 in April.
