NEW YORK — Kansas City Royals outfielder Tyler Tolbert etched his name into the baseball record books Tuesday night, matching a major league record by collecting hits in 12 straight plate appearances during a game against the New York Mets.
Tolbert tied the mark with an infield single — his fifth hit of the evening — at Citi Field. The record was originally set by Chicago’s Johnny Kling back in 1902 and later equaled by Walt Dropo of the Detroit Tigers in 1952.
The second-year player could be seen grinning as he jogged back to first base after the record-tying knock. The Citi Field scoreboard lit up with a graphic celebrating the achievement.
Batting ninth in the lineup, Tolbert — who plays right field — launched a two-run home run in the second inning, then added singles in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. His final three hits of the night were all infield singles.
The hot streak began Saturday against Philadelphia, where Tolbert went 2 for 2 before being replaced by a pinch-hitter. He then started at shortstop Monday and delivered a remarkable 5-for-5 performance, including his first home run of the season.
Primarily used as a pinch-runner and defensive specialist, Tolbert had logged just 105 career plate appearances heading into Tuesday’s contest. Before Saturday’s game, he was hitting just .200 on the season — 7 for 35. His fifth hit Tuesday pushed his batting average all the way up to .404.
