VIDEO: Kemp triples in 9th inning for 1st cycle in Padres history

Matt Kemp's second-half surge took an historic turn Friday when the San Diego Padres outfielder drilled an RBI triple to deep center in the ninth to become the first player in franchise history to record a cycle.

Kemp homered in his first at-bat, followed by a single in the third, and double in the seventh before completing the feat with one out in the ninth off Colorado Rockies right-hander Justin Miller. It was Kemp's first career cycle.

The history-making moment happened on Miller's hanging 1-0 slider that Kemp drove off the wall in right-center at Coors Field. The ball deflected off the fence and away from Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon, allowing Kemp to race around second and into third base without a throw.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Prior to Friday's milestone, no player in the 46-year history of the Padres had recorded the rare feat.

"It's hard to believe, all the great hitters that have been here, Tony Gwynn and all those guys, haven't been able to hit for the cycle," Kemp said postgame. "I'm just glad to be able to do it."

Kemp's the fourth player in the majors to hit for the cycle this season, joining Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo of the Texas Rangers, and Boston Red Sox infielder Brock Holt.

The Padres were one of two clubs - the other being the Miami Marlins - that had never recorded a cycle. There has been 361 times when a player has finished one hit shy of the cycle, and in 258 of those instances, the player was a triple short, according to the team.

Kemp entered play Friday hitting .278/.350/.456 since the All-Star break after managing a .673 OPS during the first half.

- With files from The Associated Press