Orioles' Davis finally ends hitless skid
Chris Davis can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Baltimore Orioles slugger singled home two runs with the bases loaded in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday to end a record streak for a position player of 54 at-bats without a hit.
Davis would later add the go-ahead double in the fifth inning, an RBI forceout in the sixth and a double in the eighth as part of a 9-5 Orioles win. He ended the day 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
Davis' slump-busting hit, off Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello, even brought about cheers from the Fenway Park crowd. Many in Baltimore are likely also cheering, as several local restaurants and bars have previously announced deals correlating with the end of the skid.
Upon reaching first base, Davis asked to keep the ball and flashed a grin at his dugout, where several of his teammates had emerged to share in the weight lifted.
Davis, who had been 0-for-33 this season, lined out into a defensive shift as a pinch hitter in Friday's 6-4 Orioles loss to extend the streak. All told, it lasted 62 plate appearances, another record.
Davis' last hit prior to Saturday came Sept. 14 against the Chicago White Sox last season. His last multi-hit game was Sept. 4 at Seattle, and his last time with three hits was Aug. 28 against Toronto.
The 33-year-old set a record for futility in 2018, hitting .168 in 522 plate appearances -- the lowest qualified batting average for a season in major league history.
Davis has four years remaining at $17 million annually on his seven-year, $161 million contract signed with Baltimore in 2016.
-- Field Level Media
