Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner celebrated his 28th birthday in style on Wednesday by hitting for the cycle, doing so by the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Nationals Park.
He is the first player in Major League Baseball’s modern era (since 1900) to hit for a cycle on his birthday, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
It’s the third cycle of Turner’s career, which is the most in Montreal Expos/Nationals franchise history, and ties the major league record for most cycles in a career.
He joins Adrian Beltre, Babe Herman, Bob Meusel and John Reilly as the only players to hit for three cycles in their career, per ESPN Stats & Information.
Turner singled to right-center in the bottom of the first inning, doubled to left in the third, hit a 400-foot home run to right-center in the fourth and completed the cycle by tripling to deep right in the sixth.
It’s the first cycle since Sept. 17, 2019, when the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Cavan Biggio did it. There were none in the pandemic-shortened season last year.
Turner also stole second and third after his first-inning single and scored four runs. The surging Nationals led 11-5 after six innings.
The Nationals then pinch hit Ryan Zimmerman for him in the bottom of the seventh, giving him the rest of his birthday off.
Turner is hitting .318 this season with 14 home runs, 38 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.