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Landry cycles in third Mavs' game

Newly acquired Mariners prospect just missed feat last week
August 4, 2012
Leon Landry has certainly had a roller-coaster kind of week.

The newly acquired Mariners prospect doubled in the eighth inning Friday night to complete the second cycle of the season for Class A Advanced High Desert as the Mavericks rolled to an 11-2 victory over Lancaster.

Acquired from the Dodgers on Tuesday in the trade involving reliever Brandon League, Landry flied out in the first inning. But he singled and stole second in the third, tripled leading off the fifth and slugged a two-run homer in the sixth.

With two on and one out in the eighth, the 22-year-old outfielder lined a ball off the right-field wall and reached second base easily. But he was tagged out after advancing too far past the bag.

"I looked up at the third-base coach and he was waving the runner in front of me in. And in my mind, I was thinking, 'Let's stretch this into a triple.' Absolutely, [the cycle] was in the back in the of my mind, but if I can stretch it into a triple I'm going to try."

That helps account for Landry's Minor League-leading 16 triples.

The Mariners' No. 18 prospect fell a single shy of the cycle on July 25 while playing for Rancho Cucamonga, the Dodgers' affiliate in the California League. Three days later, Landry collected three hits to continue a stretch in which he's batted .455 (20-for-44) with 12 extra-base hits.

"Whenever you're on a streak like that, your teammates don't let you forget it and it keeps your aware," Landry said. "You try to just put it out of your mind and put the ball in play hard somewhere. At the same time, it's exciting. Your parents love to see it, your teammates are excited, it's always going to be in your mind, it's human nature."

Selected by Los Angeles in the third round of the 2010 Draft, Landry was enjoying his finest season as a pro, having already established career highs in homers, triples, runs scored and total bases. The trade came as a surprise to the Louisiana native, who was enjoying a day off at the time.

"I was on a roller coaster at Six Flags and I got a call from the farm director saying, 'Congrats, you've been traded.' So after a long, fun day, I had to go to the apartment and get my bags and say that I had been traded.

"[My roommates and I] all had a quiet ride home from Six Flags. We all understand that it's the business, but at the same time, it's a bittersweet moment."

Hitting for the cycle in your third game with a new team is sure to endear Landry to the Mariners and their fans. He's hoping he can keep the momentum going a while longer.

"It's really exciting," he said. "All the guys are really cool, the staff members are great, and to be able to come out and play well is all the better. I want to keep it going with the new organization and show them that I can play. That's my approach."

Overshadowed by Landry was James Gilheeney (8-4), who recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game.

"It was fun playing behind him tonight and any other night I'm going to play behind him," said Landry, who was 4-for-18 against the 24-year-old left-hander earlier this season. "He has some good stuff."

Steven Proscia collected four hits and fell a homer shy of the cycle for High Desert, while James Jones reached base four times and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot.

Robert Emrich is a contributor to MLB.com.