On July 15, 2017, Cody Bellinger became the first Dodgers rookie to hit for the cycle as he accomplished the feat in a 7-1 win against the Miami Marlins. Bellinger’s historic performance came two days after his 22nd birthday and in the Dodgers’ second game out of the All-Star break.
Coincidentally, Bellinger had already become quite familiar with Marlins Park earlier in the week. It was the site of the 2017 MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, both of which Bellinger participated in.
His bid for history began innocently enough — a single with two outs in the first inning. Bellinger then clubbed a two-run home run in the third to break a scoreless tie. Still, the thought of a cycle hadn’t exactly surfaced.
That changed when Bellinger hit an RBI double in his third at-bat, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 6-0 in the fourth inning. Excitement was palpable as Bellinger stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the seventh inning.
He drove the first pitch from Marlins reliever Nick Wittgren toward the right-center field gap. Giancarlo Stanton attempted to make a running catch but saw the ball carry past his extended glove and roll toward the wall.
That was all Bellinger needed as he raced around the bases for a triple, giving him a ninth cycle in Dodgers franchise history. It was just the third since the team moved to L.A., and the franchise’s first since Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle on April 13, 2009.
Wes Parker (1970) was the first player to hit for the cycle in L.A. franchise history. The cycle was a first for Bellinger at any level, and the four-hit game was another first in his young career.
He went on to shatter Mike Piazza’s Dodgers rookie home run record en route to being a unanimous selection for 2017 National League Rookie of the Year.
