Astros' Altuve homers to complete 1st career cycle

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit for the cycle Monday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Altuve completed the feat with an eighth-inning homer over the Green Monster off Red Sox reliever Kyle Barraclough.

The former AL MVP started his night slowly, striking out to lead off Monday's game, before turning things up several notches. Altuve doubled in the third inning and singled in the fifth before giving Houston the lead with a two-run triple as part of a six-run sixth inning.

It's the ninth cycle in Astros history and the first since Brandon Barnes did it in 2013. Altuve is also the fifth player to hit for the cycle in the majors this year, and the first opposing player to do it at Fenway Park since the Rangers' Bengie Molina in 2010.

Altuve finished his night 4-for-6 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

This has been a difficult season for the 33-year-old, who started his year on the IL after suffering a broken hand during the World Baseball Classic. But when he's been healthy, he's been the catalyst that he usually is for Houston. Altuve is hitting .322/.415/.529 with 10 homers, 34 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in only 62 games, while his .944 OPS is his best since his MVP campaign of 2017.

Both the triple and homer came off Barraclough, who surrendered 10 earned runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings of relief work. The Astros beat Boston 13-5.