It was only fitting that after twenty-two years of no cycle for the Minnesota Twins, their new centerfielder, number twenty-two, Carlos Gomez be the next to do it.

Gomez led off the game with a solo homerun, his second of the season. In the third inning, he struck out. He then hit a triple into the gap that just missed going over the fence, falling right in front of the warning track. The very next inning, Gomez lined a ball to left for a double, and reached third on an error. Then, on the first pitch of the ninth inning, magic struck.

Gomez hit the ball back up the middle off of left-handed pitcher Ehren Wassermann’s glove. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez barehanded the ball and threw to first, but Go-Go was there, smile and all.

I thought Gomez might bunt for the single, and he apparently thought about it, but wanted to ‘hack away’.

"When I go to hit, I think I hit bunt and I say, 'No, no, no, no. You can do it. You can hit a base hit off this guy. I say go swinging, go hacking, and when I hit the ground ball, I close my eyes and I run and when I see the pitcher drop the ball, I say, 'You got it! You got it!' "

It was clear that Go-Go knew it was quite an accomplishment. Because when he reached first, he not only pumped his fists, but he also had the biggest smile you’ll ever see.

The cycle is the first for a Twin since Kirby Puckett on August 1, 1986.

Hernandez’s final line was nine innings, nine hits, one run and three strikeouts. Had he not allowed a solo homerun to Jermaine Dye in the ninth inning, it would have been Livan’s first shutout in his Twin career.

Nonetheless, it was an impressive outing for Livan, who is now 5-1 on the season with a 3.83 ERA.