Record-Setting Minor League Hit Streak Broken Up With Benches-Clearing Walk

Jose Siri is an outfielder in the Reds system, currently playing with the Class A Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League. Baseball Prospectus pegged him as Cincinnati’s 10th-best prospect on July 19—on that date Siri was already nearly a month into a hitting streak that would eventually stretch to and then surpass the Midwest League record 36 games.

Siri brought that streak—up to 39 consecutive games—into a home game against the Great Lakes Loons Friday night. It was in great peril when Siri came to the plate in the eighth inning with his team down 4-1—he’d gone 0-for-3 to that point and this was very likely to be his final at-bat of the evening. Here’s what went down:

The rare bench-clearing walk! Pitcher Ryan Moseley threw well behind Siri with his first pitch, and after walking him with an outside 3-2 pitch, Siri and Moseley exchanged words and the benches cleared. Pegging someone in order to end their hit streak is mighty, mighty lame. Chirping at the guy you tried to peg in order to end his record hit streak is dirtbag behavior.

Siri got partial revenge: he swiped his league-leading 30th base and later scored on a wild pitch, though the Dragons would go on to lose the game 4-2.

[ milb.com]