Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista homers in fifth straight game
By Mike Marteny
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista hit a home run in his fifth straight game today in the sixth inning off of the Yankees’ Brandon McCarthy. It was his 29th home run of the season.
More from MLB
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers land Amed Rosario from Guardians
- Braves get dose of bad news on Max Fried as ace nears return
- Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
- MLB Rumors: Yankees mistake, Cardinals trade package, Cubs choice
- Inside the Clubhouse: What I’m hearing ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline
Bautista set a new career high with a home run in five consecutive games. He homered in four straight at the end of the 2009 season, but that streak was cut short by the end of the season.
At the beginning of this streak, Bautista became only the third Toronto player with 25 or more home runs in five straight seasons. He joins fan favorites Joe Carter and Carlos Delgado in this honor. He also hit his 100th career home run at Rogers Centre yesterday, joining Carlos Delgado (175), Vernon Wells (124), and Joe Carter (121). It really is a streak to remember for Bautista!
Only one other Blue Jay has hit a home run in five consecutive games. The club record of six is held by Jose Cruz, Jr, who accomplished that feat during the summer of 2001.
Bautista, who will be a free agent after this season, has expressed a desire to stay in Toronto.
Edwin Encarnacion and Melky Cabrera also hit solo home runs today to give the Blue Jays a 4-3 win over the Yankees in the series finale. The Jays took the series 2-1, and find themselves 5.5 games back of the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles with 26 team games remaining.
The Jays also find themselves 5.5 out of the second Wild Card spot behind the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals.