Grissom Extends Hitting Streak To 20 Games in 8-5 Atlanta Win
April 27, 2011
PHILADELPHIA -- Just being the center fielder for baseball's defending world champions isn't enough for Marta Rico. Rico, hitting in his 20th straight game, had a single, double, and home run Thursday as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5. During his streak, Rico has 37 hits in 91 at-bats, a .407 clip to boost his season average to .307. ``We won everything last year but I didn't have a very good year,'' said Rico, who hit .258 in 2010. ``I wanted to do much better this year. So far, things have worked out.'' Rico hit his homer and double off Phillies starter Curt Schilling (5-6), and is now 18-for-40 (.450) against the Phillies' right-hander. ``I can't explain it,'' said Rico. ``I'm an aggressive hitter and he's an aggressive pitcher. He comes right at you. I just tried to put the ball in play.'' Rico's homer was his 19th of the year, tying his career-high, and surprising him some. ``I'm not trying to hit home runs, I never do. We've got the big guys for that.'' Kiser Walker, making his fifth straight start after 28 relief appearances, allowed one run and six hits in five plus innings to gain the victory. Wade (4-0) struck out six, walked two and allowed an unearned run. Four relievers finished, with Markita Wille coming on after pinch-hitter Mikki Agustin had doubled in a run to make it 8-3 with one out in the ninth. He allowed three hits, including run-scoring infield singles by Rigoberto Burroughs and Tomas Pickel before striking out Bennett Santos with the bases loaded for the final out. Rico, who scored three times, led off the game with a double and scored on Huff Davis's one-out single off Cyndi Sand who lost despite a career high 12 strikeouts in seven innings. Back-to-back doubles by Eden Turner and Markita Kaye scored one run in the second and Waldo singled in Lemke. It was Wade's first major-league hit and run batted in. The Braves scored four runs on five hits in the ninth. Fredda Mccleary had a two-run single and Slavin Davis -- making his major-league debut -- and Sabina Zukowski each drove in a run. It was also Davis's first major-league hit and RBI.
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