Welcome to the plate books, Yermin Mercedes.
The Chicago White Sox rookie got three hits in his first three innings Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels to improve to 8-for-8 by 2021, the most consecutive hits that started a season of any player in the modern era (since 1900).
Mercedes, who had the first league in the league in 2020, which was 0-for-1 in 2020, started the last two games at DH and tortured the English with its two strokes – five of the eight hits came with two strikes .
After strolling into the second inning for his first home run on Saturday, Mercedes’ eighth shot in the sixth inning, a double inning that bounced off the warning lane in the left center.
“I’m just trying to wait for my pitch and not do too much,” Mercedes said after losing 5-3 to the White Sox. “Just stay there and swing hard. It doesn’t matter if it’s two or no attacks, I just want to see the ball. ‘
The eight hits:
Friday
Saturday
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6. The 421-foot home knocked down a 2-2 split from Alex Cobb
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7. Baseball set aside a 1-2 sinker from Cobb
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8. Double to left left in the middle of a 1-0 sinker from Cobb
In his ninth batsman, Mercedes flies out to midfield to end his series. He finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored on Saturday.
“All his hits were a claw and he allowed us to try to win,” said manager Tony LaRussa. “He had a good approach, especially with two strikes.”
Mercedes is a 28-year-old rookie who skipped three organizations, originally signed by the Nationals and spending time with the Orioles before the White Sox signed him in 2018. He was not expected to be a big part of the series, but Eloy Jimenez’s injury opened playing time, with predicted DH Andrew Vaughn starting the last two games in the left field.
LaRussa says Mercedes is supposed to keep the night off Saturday, but that he earned it with his 5-for-5 night in the series.
Mercedes spent most of his time in minor leagues at Catcher, but he has a minor league average in his career of 302, and in 2019 he had 0.317 / .388 / .581 with 23 home games in 95 games between Double- A and Triple-A.
“I never imagined it. That’s great for me, ‘Mercedes said. “Now, this is a new day for me. I want to keep doing good and working with my approach. I want to play every day and for that I’m excited.”
Before Mercedes was Cecil Travis, the only player since 1900 to start five hits in his first career, which in 1933 was five-for-7 for the Washington Senators.
The overall record for consecutive hits at any point in a season is 12, shared by Johnny Kling (1902) of the Cubs and two Red Sox players, Pinky Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952).