No K's? OK! Arraez extends strikeout-less streak to 120 PA
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Luis Arraez is moving closer and closer to history.
During Tuesday's 7-3 win against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park -- for the 26th consecutive game -- Arraez did not strike out. The Padres' infielder hasn’t fanned since Aug. 10, extending his current streak to 120 plate appearances without a single K.
Arraez is still 50 plate appearances shy of Tony Gwynn, whose 170 straight PA without a strikeout in 1995 remain a Padres record. Next up for Arraez is Juan Pierre, who went 147 plate appearances between strikeouts in 2004 -- the longest streak this century.
Not only did Arraez not strike out Tuesday, he finished 3-for-5 to move into a three-way tie with Cincinnati's Elly De La Cruz and Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for second in MLB with 17 three-hit games this season. (Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. has the most, with 19). Arraez, the 2022 American League and '23 National League batting champion roped singles in the third, seventh and ninth innings.
“He’s got tremendous bat control, and he can hit virtually anything,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “You feel like you want to expand? Go ahead. He’s got an amazing ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched. He can obviously hit a ball that’s center cut, but he can hit a ball 4 inches below his knee or 3 inches off the plate … It doesn’t really matter.”
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Arraez, who's on pace for his third consecutive batting title, leads the NL with a .318 batting average. It’s hard to say which is more impressive: his current strikeout-free stretch or his ability to find holes all over the field.
“The bat-to-ball skill is really impressive,” Shildt said. “The competition -- this guy really competes very well with the bat. He’s got a really good idea of what he’s doing and what the pitcher’s trying to do.”