Frankly, he's been a handful at plate

Last night's ruinous hitting attack on Red Sox pitching was led by Frank Catalanotto, Toronto's 31-year-old designated hitter who kept a streak going he started in the second game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader.

With four hits that helped beat the Red Sox, 7-5, in the nightcap Tuesday, Catalanotto matched a season high accomplished June 3 in Oakland. Cat, as he is called by his teammates, remained hot with hits in his first three at-bats last night, before grounding out twice when he seemed on the verge of accomplishing one of baseball's rarest offensive feats -- hitting for the cycle.

Catalanotto got started quickly, tripling to the triangle in center off Bronson Arroyo in the first, and coming home on Vernon Wells's home run.

When he came to bat in the third, Catalanotto homered with a hook shot that wrapped around Pesky's Pole, and in the fourth he doubled, moving within one of the Blue Jays' record of eight straight hits. And Catalanotto's three hits -- the first two off Arroyo and the double on reliever Lenny DiNardo's first pitch -- left him needing just a single for the cycle.

''I'd done the hard part first," said Catalanotto. ''I got the big hits, then I know I just needed a single, but it wasn't to be."

In the sixth inning, Catalanotto thought a soft ground ball to second had a chance to be a single, but Tony Graffanino charged the ball and threw him out.

''I went up there looking for a pitch to handle," said Catalanotto. ''Unfortunately I didn't quite get the hit. I thought that could have been a hit. I was running hard and he got me by a step."

The entire Blue Jays dugout was pulling for Catalanotto to complete the cycle and match the team record for hits in consecutive at-bats.

Said Toronto manager John Gibbons: ''He almost got it, and he nearly did [Tuesday], too. Two at-bats to get that cycle. We thought he was going to get that single and we were hoping he was going to get it. He's swinging good right now. He's just a pure hitter."

Catalanotto is no stranger to streak hitting. Last season he became the first player in franchise history and the 91st since 1900 to record six hits (6 for 6) in a game. Prior to Catalanotto, the most recent player to accomplish the feat was Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra June 21, 2003.

Catalanotto says Fenway is one of his favorite parks. A lefthanded batter, he says it favors him, and the boisterous Boston crowd is stimulating.

''I always seem to play well here," he said. ''I just get pumped up to play here. I think their pitching is good, but for some reason I just always seem to hit well here."

His home run came on a 3-and-2 pitch from Arroyo that stayed up and inside. ''He just got a fastball in and I tried to get the bat on it and I was lucky enough to get it up in the air and wrap it around the pole," said Catalanotto.

Even though the Blue Jays have long been eliminated from postseason contention, Catalanotto says they take pride in playing tough.

''We have a chance to be a spoiler here and we take motivation from being able to play for something like that," he said. ''Even though we may be out of it, we want to be able to affect the race."