On both Monday and Tuesday, Beat the Streak active leader "Terry_Sims" picked the Astros' Jose Altuve, who came through on both occasions.
He didn't turn to Altuve again on Wednesday, instead selecting the only Major Leaguer with more hits than the Houston second baseman. That would be Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, the lone batter in triple digits in hits this early in 2016. Bogaerts' game-tying, two-run single against the White Sox at Fenway Park pulled Boston even in the third inning and pushed 63-year-old Terry Sims' streak to 46.
Sims is now 11 successful picks away from passing Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game streak in 1941 and collecting the $5.6 million grand prize.
Meanwhile, one more successful selection would tie Sims with Ken Gilman for the longest run of the season (47). The only other players to do better in BTS history are Mike Karatzia (49 games in 2007), Bob Paradise (48 in '08), Steve Summer (48 in '11) and William Bryan (47 in '13).
While Sims told MLB.com that this is the first time he has enjoyed a streak longer than 20 in four or five years of playing BTS, it's now easier than ever for players to chase down DiMaggio. For example, users have the option of employing the "Double Down" feature. Double Down allows fans to advance their streak by two games, but only if both of their picks get a hit. If one goes hitless, the streak ends.
Additionally, BTS research filters such as batting-order position, right- or left-handed pitchers and cold opposing pitchers are at fans' disposal to help make their decisions. They can also take days off between selections if they don't find ideal matchups -- just as long as they exceed 56 by season's end.
Should Sims string together 57 consecutive correct picks, he would be the first player to claim the grand prize since BTS launched more than 15 years ago. While nobody got that far in 2015, a $10,000 consolation prize was awarded, along with 2 million other prizes for streaks as small as five games.
It would be especially fitting if Sims or another BTS user could break the drought this year. After all, it's the 75th anniversary of DiMaggio's remarkable streak, which is being commemorated with daily recaps on MLB.com and @TheStreak on Twitter.