Carpenter hits for cycle in playoff win

Having your leadoff hitter go 5-for-5 is great. Having him hit for the cycle is just icing on the cake.

In what's believed to be a DMBL playoff first, Matt Carpenter of Las Vegas hit for the cycle, shredding the Hoboken pitching Wednesday night for five hits, three runs and two RBIs. The second-seeded Rat Pack took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series against the No. 4 Cutters after the 10-1 thrashing.

Playing first base, Carpenter singled to lead off the game, later scoring on a wild pitch. He was stranded after a one-out double in the second. Leading off the 5th, Carpenter tripled and promptly scored on Joe Mauer's double, collecting three hits off starter Kyle Lohse. He singled off lefty reliever Luis Avilan in the 6th but did not complete the cycle until mashing a two-run home run in the 8th, again off Avilan.

Carpenter was one of the Rat Pack's two first-round picks in the 2013 draft, primarily playing first base against right-handers and compiling a solid rookie campaign, hitting .280/.347/.428, with 37 doubles.