Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Phillies have already been active at the trade deadline, but does Dave Dombrowski have anything else up his sleeve—perhaps another starting pitcher? August 3 has been a light day in Philly sports history, but it has featured a pair of impressive hitting streaks and the opening of Lincoln Financial Field.
Hitting Streaks Part 1
On this day in 1930, the Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Braves, winning 11–5 and 4–1. In Game 1, Chuck Klein went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 26 games. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, as he went hitless in Game 2 to snap the streak. Amazingly, it was his second 26-game hitting streak of the season. Klein went on to hit .386 with 40 home runs and 170 RBIs, which remains the Phillies’ single-season record.
The Linc Opens
On this day in 2003, Manchester United and FC Barcelona played a friendly in Philadelphia. It was the first ticketed event in the history of Lincoln Financial Field. Manchester United won 3–1 in front of a sellout crowd. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed less than a week later, while the Eagles didn’t play their first game at the new stadium until August 22, a preseason matchup against the Patriots.
Hitting Streaks Part 2
On this day in 2006, the Phillies beat the Cardinals 8–1 in St. Louis. Aaron Rowand homered, while rookie Cole Hamels pitched seven innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 12. It was the second time in two weeks that Hamels had reached the 12-strikeout mark. Chase Utley went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 35 games. It came to an end the following day when he went 0-for-5 against the Mets.
Trivia – What is the longest hitting streak in Phillies history? (answer below)
Trivia Answer – Jimmy Rollins hit 38 straight games stretching from the last 36 games of the 2005 season and the first two of the 2006.
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