On an otherwise tough night for the Cincinnati Reds, in an otherwise tough season for Matt McLain, the second baseman managed to pull off a franchise first Saturday night (Aug. 15) against the Miami Marlins.
With his 108th consecutive errorless game, McLain broke Brandon Phillips' 12-year-old franchise record for a second baseman.
“I’m just playing second base,” he said, downplaying the achievement when asked about it. “What happens out there is always a result of work. If you want a result you have to work for it. I’m just going to continue to do that.”
McLain's streak dates to Aug. 11 last season.
McLain, who entered the game hitting .190, also got a big-game reprieve at the plate, delivering three hits, including a go-ahead homer in the fifth
before the bullpen blew the lead in an 8-4 loss.
He also made an exceptional defensive play in the fourth, underscoring the franchise history he made on this night -- diving to his left and leaping to his feet to fire quickly to first to get Owen Caissie by a half-step for the first out of the inning.
"He's fast, and I know Sal's really good over there, so I just kind of got up and chucked it," he said. "It wasn't a great throw. Sal made a good play."
McLain takes "a lot" of pride in his fielding, he said.
“I take pride in every side of my game,” he said. “Just always playing hard.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Check out the Reds franchise history Matt McLain made against Marlins
