Merrifield hit streak at 30 games, ties Brett for KC mark

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield has extended his hitting streak to 30 games, matching the Kansas City Royals' team record set by George Brett.

Merrifield led off the bottom of the first inning with an opposite-field triple to right on Tuesday night against Seattle.

Merrifield ended last season with a hit in 20 straight games, and has gotten a hit in all 10 Royals games this year. He owns the longest streak in the majors since Atlanta's Freddie Freeman had a 30-game string in 2016.

Brett had a 30-game streak for the Royals in 1980, the year he batted .390. The major league record is a 56-game hitting streak by Joe DiMaggio in 1941.

Merrifield's streak is the longest multi-season string since Jimmy Rollins hit in 38 straight in 2005-06 for Philadelphia.

This is the 16th longest in American League history. Eric Davis was the last AL player to hit in 30 straight, doing it in 1998 for Baltimore.