Trout reaches base as streak keeps growing

CLEVELAND -- The last time Mike Trout failed to get on base was June 21.

Think about how much has changed since then. Alberto Callaspo and Scott Downs were still with the team, Joe Blanton was still in the rotation, Albert Pujols was still in the No. 3 spot, Jason Vargas had yet to be diagnosed with a blood clot, Peter Bourjos hadn't suffered the wrist injury that would sideline him for a month and a half, and the Angels still had hope, with more than three weeks remaining until the All-Star break.

Since then, the Angels' playoff hopes have taken a nose-dive, but Trout has continued to get on.

With two hits and a walk in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Indians, Trout reached base for the 41st consecutive game, which is second on the Angels' all-time list and 22 shy of former shortstop Orlando Cabrera for the team record of 63. In that stretch, Trout has gone 54-for-149 with eight homers, 32 walks and five hit by pitches. His slash line for the season is now at .330/.425/.572.

But that streak does have one caveat: It isn't a true on-base streak, per se, because his only time reaching base on July 2 was on an error.

Officially, reaching on an error doesn't extend a player's on-base streak, but the Angels' public relations department has included that to indicate the amount of games Trout has reached base by any means other than an out, meaning reaching on a fielder's choice does not count.

If you don't count reaching on an error, Trout's streak is at 33 games -- three shy of Chili Davis (1995) and Erick Aybar (2011) for second in team history, and 30 shy of Cabrera's mark from '06.

Thirty-three is the longest-active streak in the Majors.

So, still pretty good.

"That's my goal: just to get on base every time," Trout said. "If it's a hit or a walk, or even an error, getting on base is something that helps the team."