Carson Kelly had come close to hitting for the cycle before, but the elusive triple always slipped through his grasp. With just two triples in his decade-long big league career, Kelly finally made history on Monday night. He became the first Chicago Cubs player in 32 years to hit for the cycle, completing the feat with a triple in the eighth inning during an 18-3 demolition of the Athletics. This marked the end of the longest cycle drought in the National League.

Late in the Cubs' victory over the Athletics on Monday at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, the outcome was all but decided. Yet, Chicago's catcher still had one final task to accomplish.

When Kelly's line drive to right-center field hit the fence and bounced past A’s center fielder JJ Bleday, he rounded first base and quickly realized he had an opportunity to achieve something remarkable. He wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Kelly hustled around second base and, despite his 12th-percentile sprint speed, powered into third base standing up. Out of breath and smiling, he pumped his arms in celebration, directing the excitement toward a fired-up Chicago dugout.

Cubs catcher Carson Kelly also drew two walks in the first major league game at Sutter Health Park, the new home for the A’s this season, after they moved their operations to the minor league ballpark.

Carson Kelly hitting all kinds of history against the Athletics

Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15) bats during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome.
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The 30-year-old homered in the fourth inning, delivered a two-run single in the fifth, doubled and walked in the sixth, and tripled in the eighth. Mark Grace was the last Cubs player to hit for the cycle, doing so on May 9, 1993, against San Diego — a year before Kelly was even born. Since Grace’s achievement, the team had come close 342 times, with a player falling just one hit short on each occasion.

No Cubs catcher had reached the milestone since Randy Hundley on August 11, 1966, against Houston. Kelly also became just the third major leaguer to hit for the cycle and walk twice in the same game. Joe Gordon achieved it for the Yankees in 1940, while Mickey Cochrane did so for the Philadelphia A’s in 1937.

The Kansas City Royals have the longest drought without a cycle in the majors, with George Brett being the last to achieve the feat for Kansas City on July 25, 1990, against Toronto. Kelly’s run-scoring triple put the Cubs ahead 17-3, and he couldn't have been more excited to notch his third career triple.

The Cubs batted around in both the fifth and sixth innings, driving in 11 combined runs. Along with 21 hits, they drew 10 walks, consistently putting runners on base throughout the night.

Kelly took two of those walks, becoming only the third player in AL/NL history to both walk twice and hit for the cycle in the same game. The last player to achieve this? Joe Gordon of the Yankees in 1940.

Kelly made even more history: he became the first No. 9 hitter to hit for the cycle since Chone Figgins in 2006 and the first Cubs catcher to do so since Randy Hundley in 1966.