D-backs’ Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. continue hot streaks
May 21, 2023, 1:35 PM
Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with teammates in the dugout after coming around to score on a two run RBI double by Christian Walker #53 (not pictured) in the seventh inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 21, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
(not pictured)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. extended his hit streak to 13 games and Ketel Marte continued his on-base streak 21 games as both players drove in runs to help the Arizona Diamondbacks win yet another series over an NL Wild Card contender in the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Gurriel’s sixth-inning RBI single broke a 3-3 tie for the D-backs and the team would not relinquish the lead throughout the rest of the contest as they would finish off the Pirates with an 8-3 win.
It improved Gurriel’s streak to 14 games and ties him with Yandy Diaz and Bryan De La Cruz for the longest active streaks in the MLB this season. De La Cruz has a chance to extend his to 15 later when the Miami Marlins take on the San Francisco Giants.
The longest hit streak so far this MLB season belongs to Mauricio Dubon of the Astros who had a 20-game hit streak snapped earlier this season.
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The 14-game streak moves Gurriel into a six-way tie for the fourth longest of the year.
Its the longest streak of Gurriel’s career and the longest by a D-back this season.
His .307 batting average coming into the game led the team.
For Marte, his 21-game on-base streak is one short of his career-high mark of 22, set in 2019.
He extended his mark one inning after Gurriel with an RBI single to start the scoring in a three-run seventh inning to add some insurance runs for the D-backs.
Merrill Kelly picked up the win for Arizona as they extended their lead in the Wild Card standings to 2.5 games over the Pirates.
Kelly tossed five innings, giving up two earned runs, three hits and two walks.
Next up for Arizona is a cross-Pennsylvania trip to Philadelphia for three games against the Phillies.
That series will wrap up a nine-game roadie for the D-backs.
Tommy Henry takes the mound first for Arizona against Phillies starter Zach Wheeler on Monday at 3:40 p.m.
Catch the game on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com.
