A 4-for-6 Night, Including a Homer, Lifts Molitor’s Hitting Streak to 34

Only one American League hitter has hit safely in more games in a row than Paul Molitor after the Milwaukee hitter had four hits, including a three-run home run, Wednesday night in the Brewers’ 13-2 victory over the Indians at Cleveland.

Of course, he is Joe DiMaggio, whose record of hitting safely in 56 consecutive games in 1941 has never been approached. Molitor has hit safely in 34 straight games, meaning it would be well into September, if Molitor keeps hitting, that the record would be broken.

Molitor’s 4-for-6 night gave him a .417 average (60 for 144) since he started the streak, which is the longest in the majors since Pete Rose hit in a National League-record 44 straight games in 1978. Three American Leaguers hit in 34 straight--Dom DiMaggio (Joe’s younger brother) in 1949, George McQuinn in 1938 and George Sisler, 1925.

Molitor went hitless his first two times up before lining an 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats in the fourth inning for his 11th home run. Later in the inning, Rob Deer hit a grand slam.