Red-hot Red Sox slugger Xander Bogaerts on Saturday helped the active Beat the Streak leader move one pick closer to the coveted 57 required to collect the $5.6 million grand prize.
Bogaerts doubled in the first inning to score Mookie Betts and advanced "peterose4477" to 44 straight correct picks. Interestingly enough, the real Pete Rose once had a 44-game hit streak, which is the longest since Joe DiMaggio set the MLB record with 56 in 1941, setting the benchmark for Beat the Streak.
With Saturday's pick, "peterose4477" tied BTS user "willmccormack14" for the longest of the season. If no one reaches the mark of 57, the user with longest streak of the season will be awarded a $10,000 consolation prize.
On Thursday, "peterose4477" picked up John Jaso and Andrew McCutchen to move to 43 straight by utilizing the "Double Down" feature, which allows fans to advance their streak by two games, but only if both of their picks get a hit. It's a risky proposition because if one goes hitless, the streak ends.
Double Down is one of the many features -- along with the "Mulligan," which gives fans a do-over when their streaks are between 10 and 15 games long -- that have helped increase the odds of winning Beat the Streak more than ever.
Additionally, BTS research filters such as as batting-order position, handedness, cold opposing pitchers are at fans' disposal to help make their decisions. They can also take as many days off between selections if they don't find ideal matchups -- just as long as they reach 57 by the end of the season.
"peterose4477" did just that on Wednesday by correctly selecting Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter after a five-day hiatus.
Since Beat the Streak launched over 15 years ago, no one has ever won the grand prize. If that continues this season, the player with the longest streak wins a consolation prize of $10,000. Last year, two million other prizes were awarded for streaks as small as five games.
Having the grand prize cracked this year would be particularly fitting given the 75-year anniversary of DiMaggio's remarkable hitting streak, which is being commemorated with daily recaps on MLB.com and @TheStreak on Twitter.