CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 07: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates after hitting a home run in the 7th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 07, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a jam-shot single against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday at Chavez Ravine.
Marte hit a first-pitch cutter on the hands from right-hander Michael Grove into right field and later scored on a Joc Pederson three-run homer, taking a 7-3 lead.
The D-backs held on to win by that score.
Marte is the first Diamondbacks player to achieve a 20-game hitting streak since Paul Goldschmidt in 2013, and only the fifth player in franchise history to reach this milestone.
An even 20 games in-a-row for Ketel. 👏 pic.twitter.com/aAAiFA1LxF
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 22, 2024
The switch-hitter currently boasts the longest hitting streak of the 2024 season. In 2023, there were only three hitting streaks that reached 20 games, with the longest being 25 games by Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien.
Marte started Tuesday’s game 0-for-3 with three groundouts against Dodger starter Gavin Stone, but his third groundout brought home shortstop Kevin Newman from third base with one out. In the ninth inning, Marte drilled a ball to the warning track in center field for a loud out.
Marte’s hitting streak is somewhat unusual, as he recorded one hit in 18 of the 20 games. He nearly set the MLB record for the longest streak of games with exactly one hit, reaching 15 such games before recording two hits on Sunday. Ted Sizemore of the 1975 St. Louis Cardinals remains the only player with 16 consecutive one-hit games.
The 30-year-old also set a major league record with a 20-game postseason hitting streak that ended in the 2023 World Series. He has been one of the most valuable players in MLB this season, with his 2.8 rWAR ranking eighth as of Tuesday.
The longest hitting streaks in Arizona Diamondbacks history are:
1. Luis Gonzalez (1999) — 30 games
2. Paul Goldschmidt (2013) — 26 games
3. Tony Womack (2000) — 24 games
4. Danny Bautista (2004) — 21 games
5. Ketel Marte (2024) — 20 games
6. Matt Williams (1999) — 19 games
