Ketel Marte breaks MLB record, hitting safely in 18th straight postseason game

Every time he’s played a postseason game, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has at least one hit.

During Game 2 of the World Series, he broke the MLB record, reaching safely for the 18th-straight game, knocking in two runs with his lone hit in five at-bats.

The Game 2 hit sent him past Derek Jerek and Hank Bauer of the New York Yankees and Boston’s Manny Ramirez for the longest overall streak.

Jeter’s run came in 1998-99, while Bauer’s was in the World Series from 1956-58. Ramirez had his streak in 2003-04.

Ketel Marte's 18-game postseason hitting streak dates back to 2017 and is now the longest in MLB history! #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/TNDcggQXk1

— MLB (@MLB) October 29, 2023

Marte had three hits, including two triples, in a 2017 wild-card win over Colorado and was 4 for 12 as Arizona got swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series that year.

He remained with the Diamondbacks through unsuccessful seasons that included 110 losses in 2021. He had a standout 2019, when he became an All-Star and finished fourth in NL MVP voting after setting career bests with a .329 average, 32 homers and 92 RBIs. Slowed by a right groin injury this September, he batted .276 with 25 homers and 82 RBIs in his second-best season.

Marte combined with Corbin Carroll for homers on consecutive pitches from Corbin Burnes as Arizona opened the wild card series with a 6-3 win at Milwaukee, then put the Diamondbacks ahead for good with a two-run, sixth-inning single as they completed a two-game sweep.

His leadoff double sparked a six-run first inning against Clayton Kershaw, starting the Diamondbacks to an opening division series victory at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Marte was among the Arizona players who combined to hit a record four homers in the third inning of Game 3, completing another sweep.

Marte batted .387 with four doubles and a triple in the NL Championship Series against Philadelphia, hitting a walk-off single against Craig Kimbrel in Game 3 and earning MVP honors as Arizona overcame a 2-0 NLCS deficit.

“We went down 2-0 against Philly, so we can come back from this as well,” Marte said ahead of the D-backs tying the World Series at one game apiece.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.