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Turner wasn't thinking cycle: 'I was trying to survive the cold'

Isaiah J. Downing / USA TODAY Sports

It was far from a balmy night in Denver on Tuesday, but Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner turned up the heat with his bat and legs.

He hit a triple in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies - after singling, doubling, and homering earlier in the game - which completed the cycle. However Turner, in the moment, was unaware he was on the verge of accomplishing the relatively rare feat, according to MLB.com's Owen Perkins.

"I actually wasn't (thinking cycle)," Turner said afterward. "I was trying to survive the cold. Bases loaded, one out, I was just trying to hit the ball to the outfield. I didn't want to hit into a double play. I slid in, and I had to tell myself, 'Wait a second. I hit for the cycle.'"

Related: Turner hits MLB's 2nd cycle of 2017 season vs. Rockies

Not only that, but Turner drove in a career-high seven runs. And with the final score an absurd 15-12, the Nationals needed every single one of those RBIs to hold off the surging Rockies, who scored seven runs in the final three innings.

Turner said he's often forced the issue with runners on base in the past, but that his cooler head prevailed this time around.

"Being at the top of the lineup, I don't get a ton of opportunities to (drive in runs), and when I do get an opportunity, sometimes I try too hard. Tonight was just putting the ball in play, putting the barrel on the ball," he said.

Turner's previous high for RBIs in a game was three, and he had just two in 2017 going into Tuesday's game.

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