Marte ties postseason hit streak record with clutch RBI double
Paul Casella
@paul_casellaMLBARLINGTON -- The postseason hits just keep on coming for Ketel Marte.
The D-backs' second baseman roped a fifth-inning RBI double off Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at Globe Life Field, extending his postseason hitting streak to 17 games. That ties Manny Ram¨ªrez (2003-04), Derek Jeter (1998-99) and Hank Bauer (¡®56-58) for the longest streak by any player in postseason history.
Marte¡¯s clutch knock gave the D-backs a two-run lead that would hold up until the ninth inning, when Corey Seager¡¯s game-tying two-run homer changed the entire night. Though Marte¡¯s only focus following Arizona¡¯s 6-5 loss in 11 innings was on bouncing back with a win in Game 2, he did acknowledge that he was aware he tied the record.
¡°It stays in the mind,¡± Marte said via a translator. ¡°Memories.¡±
Remarkably, it's taken Marte only 17 career postseason games to tally his 17-game streak.
Marte previously made history in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, when he became the first player in MLB history to notch at least one hit in each of his first 16 career postseason games. His hot streak helped him to win the NLCS MVP Award.
Marte's record streak began in 2017, when he went 3-for-5 in the D-backs' NL Wild Card Game win over the Rockies; he then notched at least one hit in all three games against the Dodgers in that year¡¯s NL Division Series. He has picked up right where he left off this postseason, recording at least one hit in all 13 of Arizona's games to this point.
With another hit in Game 2 on Saturday night at Globe Life Field, Marte would stand alone atop the list.
But his focus is on getting one win, not one hit.
¡°There¡¯s a lot of ball to be played,¡± Marte said. ¡°They¡¯re just up one [game].¡±