Watson's hitting streak ends at 43 games

Call it the ghost of Rochester if you will, but Brandon Watson's International League-record 43-game hitting streak ended Monday in the same place Jack Lelivelt set the previous record in 1912.

Visiting Columbus blanked Rochester, 6-0, but Watson went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, one day after breaking the 95-year-old record set by Rochester's Jack Lelivelt in 1912.

The 25-year-old center fielder was called out on strikes in the first inning, flied out to center in the third, struck out in the fourth, grounded out to third in the sixth and fanned in the eighth.

"It was a great ride," Watson said. "I'm happy what I did. I've never been a part of anything like this, but I didn't try to put too much into it. I just had fun with it. All I can say is that it's been amazing and I'll never forget it.

"When I was at 35, my mom asked me to get to 43 and break the (IL) record. I always want to make my mom happy, so I was glad when I got there," he added. "They even showed it at the Dodger game and being from LA, that was nice. It was a good way to start the summer off and hopefully we can build on it."

Streaking in the Minors
The longest hitting streaks in Minor League history:
# 69 61 55 50 49 49 46 43 43 43 43 42 42 40 38 38 38	Player Joe Wilhoit Joe DiMaggio Roman Mejias Otto Pahlman Jack Ness Harry Chozen Johnny Bates Brandon Watson Eddie Marshall Howie Bedell Orlando Moreno Jack Lelivelt Herbert Chapman Frosty Kennedy Mitch Hilligoss Hubert Mason Paul Owens	Team (League) Wichita (WL) San Francisco (PCL) Waco (BSL) Danville (III) Oakland (PCL) Mobile (SA) Nashville (SA) Columbus (IL) Milwaukee (AA) Louisville (AA) Big Spring (LHL) Rochester (IL) Gadsden (SEL) Plainview (WT-NM) Charleston (SAL) Binghamton (EL) Orleans (PONY)	Year 1919 1933 1954 1922 1915 1945 1925 2007 1935 1961 1947 1912 1950 1953 2007 1925 1951

It was the first time Watson failed to reach base since April 30. During his run, he batted .350 (63-for-180) with six doubles, a triple, 19 runs scored and 10 RBIs.

Watson vowed to start a new string, saying, "I'm going to get to 40 again, so don't forget about me."

The streak tied him with three other players for the eighth-longest in Minor League history. Eddie Marshall hit in 43 consecutive games with Milwaukee in 1935, Howie Bedell matched the mark with Big Spring in 1947 and Orlando Moreno did the same with Louisville in 1961.

Columbus manager John Stearns was ejected by first-base umpire Mike Estabrook in the sixth. He came out of the dugout to argue after Watson was called out at first.

"It was a broken-bat grounder, like a bunt, and [third baseman's Matt Moses] throw took [first baseman Glenn Williams] off the bag and I don't think he got there before me," Watson said. "It's not even that big of a deal. It would have been any error anyway, but my manager fought for me."

Clippers starter Jim Magrane (1-1) allowed just two hits -- a single to Alexi Casilla in the third and a double to Denard Span in the fifth -- while striking out two and walking two in six innings.

Luis Ayala came on in the seventh and tossed two hitless innings, while Jermaine Van Buren secured the shutout with a 1-2-3 ninth.

D'Angelo Jimenez belted a three-run homer, his seventh, to snap a scoreless tie in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for Columbus (32-38). Kory Casto went 3-for-5 with RBI singles in the fifth and seventh.

Rochester starter Jeremy Cummings (3-5) surrendered four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking two. Carmen Cali gave up two runs on four hits and two walks over two innings for the Red Wings (33-33), who have lost four straight.