ARLINGTON -- Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl is staying a step ahead of opposing pitchers while streaking his way into hitting history.
Dahl's two-run triple in the eighth inning on Wednesday -- which helped the Rockies gain a brief lead before a 5-4 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Park -- extended his career-beginning hit streak to 16 games since his Major League debut on July 25.
Dahl's run ties the club record, set by Juan Pierre, who hit in his first 16 contests in 2000. It's one game shy of the MLB record, set by the Reds' Chuck Aleno in 1941.
The way Dahl extended the streak was particularly impressive.
With two on and one out, the Rangers sent lefty reliever Jake Diekman to face the left-handed-hitting Dahl and protect a 3-1 lead. Dahl had faced Diekman on Monday night in Denver and lashed a single on a slider.
Figuring Diekman would try to beat him with a two-seam fastball inside, Dahl waited for the pitch and roped it into the right-field corner. The hit made Dahl, who would later score on Ryan Raburn's sacrifice fly, 7-for-14 with three RBIs against lefty pitching.
"I just stick to my approach, which is usually just up the middle," Dahl said. "But I had a feeling how he was going to pitch me."
The hits off Diekman, who entered having held lefty batters to a .149 average, were reminiscent of those in Saturday night's 12-6 victory over the Marlins, who brought in lefty Mike Dunn to face Dahl in the sixth. Dahl responded with an RBI single to right.
Dahl had hit .337 in 59 at-bats combined at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque this season.
"He's just a good hitter," manager Walt Weiss said. "Up here, it's a little different. You get specialists coming out of that bullpen to face left-handers. and it's a lot tougher than hitting lefties in the Minor Leagues.
"But he hangs in there. He's given us some really good at-bats against some tough lefties. It hasn't bothered him at all."