CHICAGO -- Carter Jensen is trying not to think about or really talk about his current hit streak that dates back to June 6, but it’s time we did.
An RBI single in the first inning as part of a three-hit game for Jensen extended the streak to 19 games, the longest active run in the Majors and a new franchise record for a Royals rookie that broke a tie with Maikel Garcia’s 18-game streak from July 26-Aug. 16, 2023. It’s also the longest hit streak by a rookie catcher within a single season since catcher Buster Posey’s 21-game streak from July 4-28, 2010.
The streak is one thing, but far more important to Jensen and the Royals is when and how the hits came Sunday in their 5-4 win over the White Sox at Rate Field: Two of the three drove in runs, including his double in the fourth inning that scored Bobby Witt Jr. from first base and ended up as the game-winning run.
That helped the Royals snap a four-game losing skid and avoid a sweep in what has otherwise been a very tough weekend on the South Side.
“It means a lot, for sure,” Jensen said of his hit streak. “I think it’s a testament to hard work from me, hitting coaches, a bunch of people who have helped me along the way. It definitely means a lot to me. But I think just trying to get some wins across is the most important thing for me, honestly.”
Moved up to the No. 3 spot in the order after Jac Caglianone was scratched with left groin soreness pregame, Jensen won the left-on-left matchup with White Sox starter Anthony Kay with an RBI single in the first inning, giving the Royals a lead in what was a back-and-forth game early on Sunday. Jensen won the battle again in the fourth with the two-out double that knocked Kay from the game after the Royals put five runs on him.
Jensen’s third hit of the day, a single in the ninth, also came against lefty reliever Chris Murphy.
“Just trying to simplify and trust my swing, trust my bat path,” Jensen said. “I can be late and still get one through the opposite field. When everything’s on time, I can get to the pull side. I’m trusting myself and what I know I can do right now.”
Since Jensen’s streak began on June 6, he’s slashing .351/.388/.610 in 77 at-bats with four homers and eight doubles.
“Early in the year, he hit some homers, and I think he fell in love with that a little bit,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Now he’s using the whole field, staying in there. But he had a track record of hitting in the Minor Leagues. We really felt good about him coming up here to hit, and we’re starting to see that.”
Jensen has power, which he’s shown already. His approach right now is not selling out for that power.
“When I’m trying to hit homers, I overcomplicate things,” Jensen said. “I start chasing, I pull off balls. Homers will come. I’m not worried about that at all. I think just showing that I can hit, too -- being a good hitter is good. So just feeding into that, and the home runs will come.”
As the hits kept coming, Jensen was also behind the plate Sunday navigating the pitching staff through some tense innings.
Starter Luinder Avila’s four innings were not easy with four runs allowed and a pitch count at 86 (51 strikes) -- including a 31-pitch first inning -- before the Royals turned it over to the bullpen.
That was a lot to put on a unit that has seen its struggles, but it came through Sunday, starting with Steven Cruz in the fifth inning. With a couple of back-end arms unavailable, that also meant Beck Way was called on for the sixth. He pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam by striking out leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci swinging on a 98 mph sinker for one of the biggest outs of the game.
“I was pretty fired up, but I didn’t know if I’d be going out for another inning, so I didn’t want to get too fired up,” Way said.
Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm followed with scoreless innings. Alex Lange closed out his seventh save of the year, even recording an out on a 107.8 mph comebacker that hit his leg.
“Being in the bullpen, you got to be Ten Second Tom,” Strahm said. “It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday, last outing, previous to that. Next guy up.”
That’s how the Royals approached Sunday after two bad losses, and it turned into a getaway day victory as they head back home.