Kyle Lewis made a name for himself with a powerful entrance to the Majors last year. Now he's producing an equally impressive encore.
The 10th-ranked Mariners prospect extended his hitting streak to eight games on Friday, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as Seattle topped the A's,
Kyle Lewis made a name for himself with a powerful entrance to the Majors last year. Now he's producing an equally impressive encore.
The 10th-ranked Mariners prospect extended his hitting streak to eight games on Friday, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as Seattle topped the A's, 5-3, at T-Mobile Park.
Lewis has collected multiple hits in six straight games, one shy of tying the Mariners' rookie record set by Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.
“I don’t think about streaks; I think about games and at-bats,” Lewis told reporters after the game. “Streaks happen as a result. I don’t know how long that lasts. I don’t even have a goal of how long that’s supposed to last. I didn't even know that existed until now. It’s just a thing of getting in that box and trying to make things happen.”
During an 18-game cup of coffee with the big club last September, Lewis belted six homers and produced an .885 OPS. He began this season by going yard in back-to-back games and has notched a Major League-leading 15 hits.
After popping out in the first inning Friday, the 25-year-old center fielder worked the count to 2-2 against starter Sean Manaea before ripping a single to left field in the fourth. Lewis used his speed to score from first on a double to right by Kyle Seager .
The former first-round pick came up again in the fifth and lined the eighth pitch from J.B. Wendelken up the middle to drive home J.P. Crawford with the Mariners' fifth run. He's collected at least one RBI in his last three games, totaling four overall.
"It's going well. I'm just trying to be patient in my at-bats and get pitches that I want to hit," Lewis said. "I put myself in positions to get hits and help the team, trying to get runners in and trying to get some momentum going."
Going back to last season, Lewis has amassed 11 multi-hit games and has driven in a run in 14 since his callup from Double-A Arkansas. He's tied for second in the big leagues with a .455 average and tops the M's with a 1.136 OPS.
The Georgia native made the jump to the Majors last season after hitting .263/.342/.398 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs in the Texas, putting up a 109 wRC+, according to Fangraphs.
Lewis, who hit 30 homers over four Minor League seasons, was named an Futures Game selection and a midseason California League All-Star with Class A Advanced Modesto in 2018.
Fourth-ranked Seattle prospect Evan White got the start at first base and doubled in four trips to the plate.
In other action:
Braves 11, Mets 10
Andrés Giménez flashed his defense and speed tools during a two-hit night for the Mets. MLB Pipeline's No. 83 overall prospect scored a run and made a leaping catch while making just his second ever appearance at third base. Giménez is hitting .308 with a .769 OPS since his debut last week. Box score
White Sox 3, Royals 2
Nick Madrigal, MLB Pipeline's No. 39 overall prospect went 0-for-3 in his Major League debut. The fourth-ranked White Sox prospect reached on a throwing error in his final at-bat in the seventh inning. Top White Sox prospect Luis Robert went hitless in four at-bats but showed off his elite speed by beating out a potential double play grounder before scoring on Adam Engel’s three-run homer in the second. After starting the season with top pitching prospect Brady Singer in the Opening Day rotation, the Royals called on sixth-ranked Kris Bubic for his big league debut. The southpaw, last year’s Minor League strikeouts leader, yielded all three runs -- two earned -- on three hits and a walk while striking out three over four innings. Royals No. 29 prospect Tyler Zuber struck out the first two batters he faced and worked around a walk to Jose Abreu in a scoreless fifth. Box score
Cubs 6, Pirates 3
Top Cubs prospect Nico Hoerner entered as a pinch-runner following Jason Kipnis’ leadoff walk in the eighth inning and scored on two-run single by Anthony Rizzo. Hoerner is batting .389 with five runs scored in 18 at-bats this season. Box score
Tigers 7, Reds 2
No. 15 Tigers prospect Bryan Garcia tossed his third scoreless outing this year, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning. The right-hander got Joey Votto to ground to first base on one pitch before fanning Eugenio Suárez. Mike Moustakas flied to left for the final out, keeping Garcia's ERA at 0.00 and his WHIP at 0.86. Box score
Giants 9, Rangers 2
Heating up over the last four games, No. 11 Giants prospect Mauricio Dubón smacked two hits, walked, drove in one run and scored once in San Francisco's win. He struck out in his first at-bat, but Dubon delivered a single in the fifth and scored on Wilmer Flores' homer. One frame later the infielder punched a two-strike RBI single up the middle.He led off the eighth with a walk, making it the first time this year he's reached base three times. No. 12 Giants prospect Logan Webb made his second start, yielding two runs -- one earned -- on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 44 of 79 pitches for strikes and has a 2.35 ERA through his first 7 2/3 frames in 2020. Box score
Padres 8, Rockies 7
Jake Cronenworth made his second start of the season and went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Hitting ninth in the order, the Padres' No. 17 prospect whacked an 0-1 pitch from Jon Gray into center field with two outs in the third for his first big league three-bagger. He started off the sixth with a single and scored on a knock by Manny Machado. Ninth-ranked Rockies prospect Sam Hilliard walked and scored a run in four plate appearances. Box score
D-backs 5, Dodgers 3
No. 26 Arizona prospect Kevin Ginkel retired Mookie Betts for the final out of the eighth but surrendered a homer to Corey Seager an inning later. Los Angeles starter Tony Gonsolinpitched to contact but held Arizona to two baserunners over four frames. The sixth-ranked Dodgers prospect yielded a hit and a walk while recording one strikeout in his first start of the season. Edwin Ríos , Wednesday night’s hero and the Dodgers’ No. 18 prospect, doubled and scored in the fifth. No. 21 prospect Victor Gonzalez pitched a scoreless fifth, but gave up a run on a double by Kole Calhoun and failed to record an out in the sixth. Box score
Astros 9, Angels 6
Houston leaned heavily on the prospects in its bullpen to stay in the game. Twelfth-ranked Brandon Bielak was first on in relief of Lance McCullers Jr., working around three walks with a pair of strikeouts in two scoreless frames. No. 5 Bryan Abreu followed and issued walks to the first two batters he faced before recording a strikeout and exiting with a right thumb abrasion. He's listed as day-to-day. Enoli Paredes (No. 13) picked up after Abreu with a double play in the seventh and got another twin killing to end the eighth but not before he yielded an RBI triple to Brian Goodwin. Angels No. 23 prospect Jared Walsh struck out in each of his two at-bats and is hitless in nine trips to the plate this season. Box score
