Inaba Hits Fastest Cycle

Yakult's Inaba Atsunori made the most of his only four at bats in the rain shorted game against the Yokohama BayStars at Matsumoto Stadium, hitting for the cycle in a Japan record five innings.

In the first inning, with two down and nobody on, Iwamura ripped a triple to right, sliding into third well ahead of the throw.

With the BayStars leading 5-0 going to the top of the 4th, Inaba started off a four run rally with a home run to right.

Inaba also led off the fifth inning as 9 Swallows batted in the fourth. This time he started off a seven run rally with a single to right. Two outs and six runs later, Inaba came to the plate again. The announcer commented that he only needed a double for the cycle, a sure sign of jinxing him. But instead of the usual jixing, Inaba ripped the ball into the wet right field corner. Saeki threw the ball to cut-off man Murata, who threw the ball into the mud somewhere between first and the first base side dugout. By the time was retrieved and thrown to third, Inaba was in there sliding with an RBI double (and error to go to third).

With the completion of the cycle, a pretty young Matsumoto representative went out onto the field and presented Inaba with a bouque of flowers for his accomplishment. He accepted them with a bow to the young lady, and to the crowd. Then he dropped them off in the dugout and returned to third base.

Inaba became the 56th player (60th time) to hit for the cycle in Japan. Others from the Swallows' past to hit for the cycle were Machida (1959), Wakamatsu (1976), Ikeyama (1990), and Howell (1992), making Inaba the 5th Swallow to hit this rare combination.

But above all, Inaba was the first to do so within five innings. Nine players have done so within six.