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Yankees OF Alfonso Soriano’s Torrid 4-Game Pace Ties MLB RBI Record

August 16, 2013 · Rick Weiner · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees

Alfonso Soriano thinks that the year is 2002 and that he’s a 26-year-old hotshot second baseman for the New York Yankees.

It’s the only rational explanation for the 37-year-old outfielder’s incredible performance over the team’s past four games, a display that has put his name alongside some of the game’s all-time greats in the history books:

Alfonso Soriano ties MLB record for most RBI (18) in 4-game span Others: DiMaggio, Gehrig, Sosa Bottomley, Lazzeri (h/t: @eliassports)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 17, 2013

Who knew—or thought—that Soriano was on a collision course with baseball lore when he first went off against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night?

Nobody.

Soriano would finish the game going 3-for-6 with two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI, tying a career high—and putting some major-league offenses to shame at the same time:

Alfonso Soriano has more RBI’s in three at-bats tonight than TEN teams that played this afternoon.

— ESPN (@espn) August 15, 2013

Little did we know that it was only a preview of what was to come.

With the Angels sending Jered Weaver out to the mound on Wednesday, the chances of a repeat performance from Soriano were slim-to-none.

Except someone forgot to tell Soriano, who jumped on the Angels ace early:

Another three-hit, three-run, two-home run performance—except Soriano picked up seven RBI this time around, setting a new career high—and joining a very exclusive club:

FACT: Alfonso Soriano is 3rd player since RBIs became official stat in 1920 to record at least 6 in consecutive games (Greer, Jenkins).

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 15, 2013

For those keeping track, that’s two games, a .667 batting average (6-for-9) with four home runs, six runs scored and 13 RBI.

He’d finally come back down to earth a bit on Thursday in the finale of New York’s four-game series against Los Angeles, notching only one RBI in the game, a third-inning single off of C.J. Wilson that scored Brett Gardner.

But he picked up four more hits, raising his three-day average to a ridiculous .714 (10-for-14) to go along with the four home runs, seven runs scored and 14 RBI.

Then Friday night, with the Yankees facing the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, Soriano struck again.

He’d collect his 15th RBI in four games on an infield single in the top of the first inning, but his history-making swing came two innings later, in the top of the third against Felix Doubront:

Or, as Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger put it:

Alfonso Soriano just killed a baseball.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) August 16, 2013

Killed it indeed, and the numbers only emphasize that point: Four games, a .722 batting average (13-for-18), five home runs, nine runs scored and 18 RBI.

With the way he’s seeing the ball and swinging the bat, there’s no telling when Soriano’s torrid pace is going to come to an end.

But it’s made Saturday afternoon’s tilt between the Yankees and Red Sox—which just so happens to be FOX’s Game of the Week—must-see TV.

For hot streaks like this don’t come around often—and you don’t want to miss what Soriano might do next.

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