Ryan Braun working on career-best hitting streak

MILWAUKEE -- Left fielder Ryan Braun didn't want to try and overthink his hit streak. Chalk it up to consistency and discipline at the plate, add in some timely hitting and Braun is pleased with the outcome so far.

With an RBI single in Wednesday's first inning against the Rays, Braun set his career high with a 14-game hit streak and is the only player in the Majors this season with three 10-plus-game hit streaks. His previous 13-game streak -- which dated from May 10 to May 23 -- ended after an ejection in the third inning of a game against the Nationals.

Braun's key to extending the run was simple.

"Hopefully I don't get ejected," he said before the Interleague finale. "It's cool. The goal is always to strive for consistency as a player, so you know the fact that I've had three 10-plus-game hitting streaks means that I've been pretty consistent with my approach throughout the year."

Braun spent Monday afternoon wrapped in a blanket in the training room due to an upper respiratory infection, and he said he hung around the ballpark after being a late scratch from the lineup just in case a pinch-hit situation arose. He said he continues to feel better each day, and while he wasn't feeling his best on Tuesday, his seventh-inning two-run single extended the streak.

"You put Brauny up in those situations and Brauny against a left hander -- which I know he hasn't driven in a lot of runs off of lefties, which I'm still a little baffled by -- but if I'm left-handed I wouldn't want to face him," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "There's really no place for me to go that I'm comfortable with what pitch I'm going to throw to him."


(mlb.com)