Chicago White Sox left fielder Tristan Peters was familiar with Texas Rangers reliever Robby Ahlstrom.
“I faced him two times before,” Peters said. “Got a couple of barrels off his slider. Wasn’t able to get a hit off of him in those at-bats.”
The two matched up again in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game at Rate Field.
“I was just sitting slider,” Peters said. “I was expecting it and I was a tad early on the first pitch. He must have thought I was on the heater and he threw another one, so I tried to wait back a little longer.”
More Top Picks Best Pellet Stoves For Homes
Peters connected for a two-run home run. It was his fifth straight game with a home run, matching the franchise record.
The record-tying longball came in a 10-4 win in front of 16,030.
He shares the mark with Munetaka Murakami (earlier this season), A.J. Pierzynski (2012), Konerko (2011), Carlos Lee (2003), Frank Thomas (twice in 1994), Ron Kittle (1983) and Greg Luzinski (1983).
“That’s crazy,” Peters said. “I try not to get caught up too much in that, but obviously it’s out there and I’ve seen it and thought about it a little bit.”
Peters went 3-for-4, coming a triple short of the cycle for the second straight game.
“It’s amazing,” manager Will Venable said. “I don’t know what words there are for what he’s doing. Really, really special. Really cool to watch. And obviously big for us today, what he did and the rest of the offense.”
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Peters and Murakami (five straight games from April 17-22) are the only pair of rookie teammates since at least 1900 to record a home run streak of five games or more in the same season.
Peters, Murakami and Kittle (Sept. 2-6, 1983) are the only rookies in Sox history to homer in five consecutive games.
The run for Peters, 26, began with a unique home run in the third inning on Saturday against the New York Mets at Rate Field. Mets outfielder Carson Benge ran face-first into the fence in right field trying to chase down the long fly ball hit by Peters. He couldn’t hang on to the ball, which went out of his glove and over the wall for a solo home run.
“It was funny because I thought it was a home run off the bat,” Peters said after that game. “Then I saw he caught it, and I was like, ‘Dang, I hit that one hard.’ Then I saw it go over the wall and I was pretty pumped.”
Peters left no doubt the next day, walking off the Mets with a solo home run in the ninth inning for a 2-1 Sox victory.
“It got in a little on me, and I know to center it’s been tough in this ballpark,” Peters said after that game. “But I also knew the ball was flying today, so I was just telling the ball ‘keep going.’”
Peters provided all of the offense for the Sox in Monday’s 11-2 loss to the Rangers, hitting a two-run home run in the second inning.
Tuesday’s home run, a solo blast in the sixth inning, came as part of a three-hit evening. He came within a triple of hitting for the cycle for the second time this season. He hit for the cycle on July 10 against the Athletics at Rate Field, a day before he learned he earned an All-Star selection. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf later presented Peters with a custom ring in recognition of the cycle.
“I was not expecting that, that was really special,” Peters said, recalling the moment before Wednesday’s game.
More Top Picks Shower Heads
And then he nearly did it again on Wednesday.
“It’s crazy,” center fielder Brenton Doyle said. “He’s just going on an historic run right now. Super fun to watch. Thankful to be able to share the field with him.”
Peters is tied for fifth on the team with 12 home runs.
“He’s been awesome,” starter Sean Burke said. “I think you’ve seen everybody go through ups and downs of the year and with him being so unbelievable in the first half and hit a little bit of a blip in the road after the All-Star break. But to see him kind of handle that, make the adjustments and come back maybe even better than he was playing in the first half is huge.
“And that’s just kind of who he is. He wants to be good, he works hard at it. And you see the results on the field.”
Wednesday was his first career home run against a lefty.
“I’m very thankful I’ve gotten this opportunity and I’m able to play here,” Peters said. “I want to make the most of it any time I’m in there.”
Peters is slashing .400/.483/.880 (20-for-50) with six doubles, six home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.363 OPS over his last 18 games since Aug. 8.
“I think I’m lifting the ball a little better now and just seeing the ball even better,” Peters said, comparing his current spurt to the first half.
“It feels really good obviously. But at the same time, (the) season is not over. We have playoffs to look forward to, as well. There are a lot of important things coming up.”