Cycle, rinse, repeat

Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill hits for the cycle for the second time in a span of 12 days during the Diamondbacks’ 9-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers 12 years ago today before a Friday night crowd of 38,030 at Miller Park.

The 30-year-old Hill, who less than two weeks earlier hits for the cycle against Seattle, joins Babe Herman of the 1931 Brooklyn Robins as the only major leaguers since 1900 to hit for two cycles in the same season.

Babe Herman

Three of Hill’s four hits come off Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf on a ground-rule double down the left-field line in the first inning for Hill’s 1,000th career hit, a lined single to center in the third and a two-run homer to deep left field in the fourth.

Hill completes the cycle in the sixth inning with a triple to right-center off Brewers reliever Livan Hernandez.

Hill gets one more chance to add to his totals, but strikes out against reliever Kameron Loe to end the top of the eighth inning.

The four hits raise Hill’s season batting average from .293 to .302. He also finishes the 2012 season also hitting .302 – his second highest average during a 13-year career in the major leagues from 2005-17.