Red Sox

Mookie Betts’ no-strikeout streak ends at 129 plate appearances

Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates their victory with Andrew Benintendi #16 as they run off the field during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on April 18, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

By Nicole Yang

April 20, 2017

The box score from the Red Sox-Blue Jays game on Wednesday, contains a statistic that hasn’t been seen in a regular-season game since September 12, 2016: A strikeout from Mookie Betts.

In the top of the fourth inning against Toronto’s Francisco Liriano, the Red Sox’ right fielder struck out for the first time in 129 plate appearances — a streak that spanned over 30 games.

Mookie Betts has snapped a streak of 129 PA without a strikeout, the longest by a Red Sox since Denny Doyle (159 in 1975; via @EliasSports).

— Red Sox Notes (@SoxNotes) April 20, 2017

During that period, Betts faced 57 different pitchers and batted an impressive .353.

During his streak of 129 plate appearances without a strikeout, Mookie Betts batted .353 (41-for-116) and faced 57 different pitchers: pic.twitter.com/zpaYfy83X6

— Red Sox Notes (@SoxNotes) April 20, 2017

His streak is the longest of its kind since 2004, when Juan Pierre went 147 straight plate appearances without recording a K. The last player to eclipse 100 plate appearances without a strikeout was Jeff Keppinger in 2010.

Betts didn’t sound overly impressed with his streak, calling it “pretty irrelevant” in an interview.

https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/854547430423109634