A year ago today: Polanco logs first cycle of '19

To help fill the baseball void, we’re flipping the calendar back one year to remind us all just how awesome our great game is. Here's a look back at the best of April 5, 2019:

Jorge Polanco had a breakout year in 2019, and he announced his presence to the broader baseball world with the season's first cycle on April 5. The Twins' shortstop smashed a triple off the wall in center field in the first inning, singled up the middle in the third, homered down the right-field line in the fifth and doubled down the left-field line in the seventh, going 5-for-5 overall by adding a single in the ninth. The switch-hitting Polanco checked off each leg of the cycle except for the double while hitting left-handed.

Polanco finished the season with a slash line of .295/.356/.485 with 22 homers in 153 games to help Minnesota win its first American League Central title since 2010.

The best of the rest:

Trout, Marte slug two homers each: A pair of 2019 MVP candidates each had their first multi-homer game of the season on the same day, as Mike Trout (who won his third AL MVP Award) and Ketel Marte (who finished fourth in NL MVP voting) each belted a pair of homers to help their clubs to victory. Trout launched a solo homer to center field in the sixth inning of the Angels' 3-1 win over the Rangers, and padded Los Angeles' lead with another solo shot to nearly the exact same spot in the eighth. And it was Mike Trout Bobblehead Night at the Big A to boot. Meanwhile, Marte drove in five of the D-backs' runs in a 15-8 victory over the Red Sox in Arizona, smashing a solo shot to right in the fourth and a grand slam to left in the sixth.

Pham sets Rays on-base streak record: Tommy Pham reached base for the 40th consecutive game, dating back to Aug. 21, 2018, with a third-inning single in Tampa Bay's 5-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park. That set a new franchise record, breaking Johnny Damon's 2011 mark of reaching in 39 straight games. Pham's first full season with Tampa Bay after arriving via trade the prior year was a strong one -- he hit .273/.369/.450 with 21 home runs and 25 steals in 145 games.

Santana belts walk-off homer vs. Jays: Carlos Santana picked a good spot for his first home run of 2019, launching a walk-off shot to lift the Indians over the Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Though it was his first homer of the year, the veteran slugger was already off to a great start to the season, entering that game hitting .450 over the first six games.