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07/01/10 1:47 AM ET
Hamilton extends streak to 23 in last at-bat
Rangers star hits ground-rule double in eighth inning
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton extended his career-best hitting streak to 23 games with a ground-rule double in the eighth inning of the Rangers' 6-4 win over the Angels on Wednesday.
The double, which was hit to left field against Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez, came in his final at-bat of the night. He grounded out in his first two plate appearances before being intentionally walked in the fifth inning.
Hamilton's 23-game hitting streak is also the longest in the Majors this season, and he's crushed the ball over that stretch with a .457 batting average (43-for-94) with nine homers and 29 RBIs.
Hamilton said it's the most locked in he's ever been.
"I've been on some streaks before, but they'd always end at like 13 or 14, and then I'd get a day and pick back up," Hamilton said. "It's never lasted this long, so I can't really compare it to anything."
He also set the Rangers' record for hits in a month with his 48th hit on Tuesday against the Angels when he went 1-for-5 with an RBI groundout. The new franchise record now stands at 49 after his ground-rule double on Wednesday.
He reiterated on Wednesday that much of the success has come because of a change in his batting practice approach, as he's no longer trying to put on a show by going for home runs on every single swing on the advice of hitting coach Clint Hurdle. "I think that's helped me the most as far as the mental part of it is batting practice," Hamilton said. "I'm not trying to get too big or hit the ball too far. I'm just squaring the ball up because if I do that in batting practice it'll carry over to the game."
07/01/10 1:47 AM ET
Hamilton extends streak to 23 in last at-bat
Rangers star hits ground-rule double in eighth inning
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton extended his career-best hitting streak to 23 games with a ground-rule double in the eighth inning of the Rangers' 6-4 win over the Angels on Wednesday.
The double, which was hit to left field against Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez, came in his final at-bat of the night. He grounded out in his first two plate appearances before being intentionally walked in the fifth inning.
Hamilton's 23-game hitting streak is also the longest in the Majors this season, and he's crushed the ball over that stretch with a .457 batting average (43-for-94) with nine homers and 29 RBIs.
Hamilton said it's the most locked in he's ever been.
"I've been on some streaks before, but they'd always end at like 13 or 14, and then I'd get a day and pick back up," Hamilton said. "It's never lasted this long, so I can't really compare it to anything."
He also set the Rangers' record for hits in a month with his 48th hit on Tuesday against the Angels when he went 1-for-5 with an RBI groundout. The new franchise record now stands at 49 after his ground-rule double on Wednesday.
He reiterated on Wednesday that much of the success has come because of a change in his batting practice approach, as he's no longer trying to put on a show by going for home runs on every single swing on the advice of hitting coach Clint Hurdle. "I think that's helped me the most as far as the mental part of it is batting practice," Hamilton said. "I'm not trying to get too big or hit the ball too far. I'm just squaring the ball up because if I do that in batting practice it'll carry over to the game."
