Braves’ Kotsay hits for rare cycle

Mark Kotsay became the fifth player in Braves franchise history since 1900 to hit for the cycle Thursday night against the Cubs, and the second Atlanta Brave.

He had very nearly become the first San Diego Padre to do it seven years ago on May 19, 2001, when he needed a triple in his final at-bat against Montreal but stopped at second base.

Kotsay went 4-for-7 that game with a single, two doubles and a homer. It was the ninth inning of a game the Padres won 20-7, and he stopped at second out of respect, he said.

“Graeme Lloyd was on the mound,” Kotsay said. “I didn’t want to show anybody up. But everybody was yelling at me from the dugout that I should have gone for third and hit for the cycle. Nobody had done it in Padre history. I legitimately could have walked into third base and stood at the bag.”

He got his just rewards Thursday. And he got the hard one over first. Kotsay tripled to right field in his first at-bat and homered for only the sixth time this year in his second. He singled past second baseman Mike Fontenot in the sixth inning in his third at-bat. In the seventh, he sent a line drive to the right-field corner, which was a double all the way.

He was given a hearty ovation by 36,365 at Turner Field as he stood at second base. And what was he thinking?

“I was actually thinking about the ball I lost in the twilight and how embarrassing a moment that was,” Kotsay said afterward, referring to a ball he had lost in center field for a Geovany Soto RBI double in the fifth inning.

Kotsay used the four hits in his first four at-bats to reach 1,500 hits for his career and added another single in his final at-bat to give him a career-high five hits for the third time. The big one was the double, which he hit off right-handed reliever Bob Howry.

“A couple of guys in the dugout had mentioned it,” Kotsay said. “And obviously, when it left the bat I was thinking about getting a double. Fortunately the stars aligned. It takes some luck obviously to do that. I did have some good at-bats, the focus and concentration seemed good tonight.”

Tom Glavine was there both times an Atlanta Brave has hit for the cycle. Albert Hall was the last to do it on Sept. 23, 1987, against the Astros.

“It’s obviously a very rare thing and when you see it, it’s exciting,” Glavine said. “It’s probably as exciting as watching a pitcher throw a no-hitter. You just don’t see it very much. For Mark to do it, for as much respect as we have for him as a player and how he goes about his business, it’s even better.”

Kotsay ended the third-longest drought for a franchise to have a player hit for the cycle. The Padres have yet to do it, since entering the league in 1969, and the Dodgers haven’t had one since May 7, 1970.