Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna drilled a Jerad Eickhoff fastball into the stands in left-center field at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. That’s not only 16 consecutive games with a hit, it’s 16 consecutive games using hitting coach Barry Bonds’ bat.
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that Ozuna has been using Bonds’ bats since April 30, the first day of his hitting streak. The bats have been prone to breaking, so Bonds had to order more for Ozuna. “I feel great swinging that bat,” Ozuna said.
Ozuna entered Monday’s series opener against the Phillies batting .312/.358/.514 with six home runs and 19 RBI.
During the offseason, Bonds and manager Don Mattingly lobbied owner Jeffrey Loria to hold on to Ozuna. A month and a half into the season, that seems like it was a wise decision.