Dodgers' Justin Turner joins exclusive postseason company
The Los Angeles Dodgers were in no celebratory mood after they suffered a season-ending loss on Thursday, but one of their players notched an achievement worthy of applause once the sting of defeat runs its course.
In the Dodgers' 3-2 defeat to the New York Mets in a decisive Game 5 of the NLDS on Thursday, Turner claimed a piece of history by hitting two doubles.
Upon hitting his second double of the night in the sixth inning, the 30-year-old third baseman tied the postseason record for most doubles in a single series, becoming only the third player in MLB history to achieve the feat, according to MLB.com.
Turner is the only player to ever hit six doubles in a division series.
The most recent player to hit as many doubles as Turner did in the 2015 NLDS is former Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, who notched six two-base hits in the 2004 ALCS. The only other player to achieve the feat was Pete Fox of the Detroit Tigers in the 1934 World Series.
.@redturn2 ties Hideki Matsui ('04 ALCS) & Pete Fox ('34 World Series) for most doubles (6) in a #postseason series. pic.twitter.com/JYs0gzyQeS
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) October 16, 2015
While the Dodgers ended up falling out of the postseason in the NLDS for the second-straight season, Turner did all he could to help his team out.
"He was great," manager Don Mattingly said of Turner's performance in the series. " … He swung the bat really well. He's swung the bat really well for us since he's came over. He's a guy that obviously knows what he's doing, and he's been doing this for us the last couple years."
In the team's five division series games, he hit .526/.500/.842 with 10 hits and four RBI in 19 at-bats.