(Reuters) – Ketel Marte takes his MLB record 18-game postseason hitting streak home to Arizona for World Series Game Three on Monday where he expects to feel even more confident at the plate.
It appeared the center fielder’s streak might come to an end when he went hitless in his first four at-bats on Saturday against the Rangers in Arlington.
But he delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single up the middle that plated two runs to put the game out of reach. The 9-1 shellacking evened the best-of-seven series 1-1 and left the resilient team oozing with confidence as the series shifts to Chase Field for the next three contests.
“It’s our house,” Marte, who hails from the Dominican Republic, said through a translator.
“We’re going to be more comfortable there. We’re going to have our fans with us supporting us, and we have the talent, so we’re going to beat them.”
The 35-year-old’s postseason hitting streak began in his playoff debut in the NL Wild Card game in 2017 and he extended it through the next three Divisional Games.
He picked it back up starting with the Wild Card round this month and stayed hot to maintain it through the Divisional, Conference and the first two games of the Fall Classic.
He broke the previous record of 17 straight postseason games with a hit held by Manny Ramirez (2003-04), Derek Jeter (1998-99) and Hank Bauer (1956-1958). Marte is batting .333 with nine extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 14 games this postseason, according to MLB.com.
“Very happy,” Marte said. “I never imagined doing something like this… It’s just another accomplishment for myself. I know what kind of person I am. I’m a person that believes in God. We’re going to continue to strike and continue to break records.”
Texas will send ace Max Scherzer to the mound for Monday’s pivotal Game Three while Arizona will counter with Brandon Pfaadt.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Clare Fallon)
