Kansas City Royals outfielder Tyler Tolbert tied a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances on Tuesday night. The mark came during a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Tolbert collected five hits in his first five at-bats of the game. He reached the record with an infield single. The streak matched the one set by Johnny Kling of the Chicago Cubs in 1902 and later equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952. Tolbert’s run included singles, a double, and a home run. His streak ended in the ninth inning when he flew out.
The Royals won the game 16-12. They overcame an early deficit with a big rally in the seventh inning. Tolbert’s hot stretch helped his season batting average rise sharply. It moved from around .247 to over .400 during the recent games.
Tolbert has played at several levels in the minors before reaching the majors with the Royals. His performance on Tuesday stands out as one of the best single-game hitting stretches in recent years. The record for consecutive hits in plate appearances is rare and has not been broken in more than 70 years.
The game featured high scoring from both teams. The Royals used Tolbert’s consistent contact to stay in the contest and pull ahead late. Tolbert’s achievement links him to players from baseball’s early days and the 1950s. It gives the Royals a positive moment in an interleague series that started with plenty of runs scored.