Royals' Whit Merrifield goes 0 for 6, snaps 31-game hitting streak

Thomas Lott

Royals' Whit Merrifield goes 0 for 6, snaps 31-game hitting streak image

Whit Merrifield broke George Brett's Royals franchise record by hitting in 31 straight games on Wednesday. Then it ended quickly.

Merrifield went 0 for 6 in the Royals' 7-6 loss to the Mariners on Thursday, which brought his hitting streak — which began last season — to an end.

He actually got new life in the game. He went 0 for 5, but because the Mariners tied it up in the ninth inning, he had one last chance in the 10th.

However, he struck out on a high fastball on a 2-2 count, so it simply wasn't meant to be.

MORE: Watch 'ChangeUp,' a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN

During Merrifield's hit streak he batted .325 with two home runs and 13 RBIs while striking out just 17 times in 132 at-bats dating back to Sept. 10, 2018.

The 30-year-old's streak tied for 26th all time with the likes of Vladimir Guerrero, who accomplished the feat in 1999 with the Expos.

“To do something nobody in the history of this franchise has done (and surpass) one of the greatest players of all time who played for this franchise for a long time, it’s kind of surreal," Merrifield said after Wednesday's game. "I don’t even really know how to describe the emotions and the feelings I have going on right now.

“Not many guys in the history of the game have gotten to this point. It’s crazy to think about, it really is.”

The Royals are currently last in the American League Central with a 2-10 record, but Merrifield has not been part of the struggles, batting .308 with 11 runs scored through 12 games. He has made just one error while playing three different positions this season.

 

Thomas Lott