I finally broke the record. He’s never been silent in the postseason. This is the story of Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Arizona defeated the Texas Rangers, 9-1, in Game 2 of the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series (WS) at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, on April 29.
With the win, Arizona evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
There’s a player who isn’t a player of the game, but who has had a tremendous fall so far. Marteda. He started Game 1 of the World Series at second base and went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 17 games.
She needed just one more game to set a new record. And she did.
In Game 2, Marte led off with a walk and went 1-for-5 with two RBIs.
After a grounder to shortstop in his first at-bat in the first inning, Marte singled to center field in his second at-bat with two outs in the third.
In the top of the fifth, with his team up 2-0, Marte hit a changeup from the reunited Jordan Montgomery, but was thrown out at second base.
In his fourth at-bat, he was unable to get a hit. With his team up 3-1 in the top of the seventh, he had a chance to score with runners on first and second. But Marte grounded out to third against reliever Andrew Heaney.
It looked like his hitting streak was coming to an end, but in his final at-bat, he capitalized. In the top of the eighth inning, Marte came to the plate with the bases loaded after a single and a walk. He lined a three-pitch 84.6 mph changeup from reliever Martin Perez for a two-run double. It extended his postseason hitting streak to 18 games. It’s a new record.
Marte, who had tied Hank Bauer (1956-1958), Derek Jeter (1998-1999), and Manny Ramirez (2003-2004) for the longest postseason hitting streak, immediately broke the record.
It’s a crazy performance in fall baseball. Marte’s hit was a game-winning hit.
Marte first played fall ball in an Arizona uniform during the 2017 season. He went 3-for-5 in the Wild Card Series against the Colorado Rockies and had a three-game hitting streak in the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the team was eliminated in three straight games by the Dodgers.
This year, the team returned to the postseason for the first time in six seasons. His hitting streak began in the Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He hit safely in three straight games in the Division Series against the Dodgers and in all seven games of the Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He batted .387 (12-for-31) with three home runs, two RBIs, and one stolen base, earning him the Championship Series MVP award.
His hitting instincts continued in the World Series.
After the game, MLB.com wrote, “Marte extended his postseason hitting streak to 18 games. ”Even more impressive is that the 18-game hitting streak came in his first 18 games of the postseason.”