Twins’ Jose Miranda ties MLB record with 12th straight hit

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins’ Jose Miranda singled in the fourth inning Saturday for his 12th straight hit in one at-bat, tying the longest streak in MLB history.

Fans at Target Field cheered Miranda as the scoreboard and loudspeaker informed them of the record. Miranda, a 26-year-old infielder from Puerto Rico, tipped his cap and waved in thanks.

“It was great to see the fans, obviously, showing me (support) “With that standing ovation,” Miranda said. “They’re proud, obviously, and I’m proud that they’re here, too.”

The streak finally ended in the sixth inning when Hunter Brown retired Miranda on a flyout to left field. Twins fans gave Miranda another standing ovation in appreciation for the record.

“There are no words,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You just have to stop talking and enjoy it. I’ve never seen anything like this happen on a field, in a matter of days, anywhere else.”

Miranda started the game against the Houston Astros with 10 consecutive hits. In his first at-bat, he was hit in the arm by a pitch from Brown. After being examined by the Twins training staff, Miranda remained in the game.

“I thought it was going to be a little bit more serious. It hit me right there,” Miranda said, pointing to a spot on the bottom of her hand, just below where it’s covered by a protective pad. “Luckily, it wasn’t that bad.”

In the second inning, Miranda hit Brown’s first pitch into center field for an RBI single. In the fourth inning, he singled to right-center field to tie the major league record of 12 consecutive hits, set by Johnny Kling in 1902, Pinky Higgins in 1938 and Walt Dropo in 1952.

“I know Jose very well and I’m happy with this series,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I wish we weren’t here for part of this series, but it’s pretty impressive.”