It’s been a tough spring for Carlos Santana, who is barely above the Mendoza line at the season’s quarter-pole.
His .207 batting average ranks among the worst in recent history through 45 games, but is compounded by the fact that he continues to bat cleanup.
The only Indian the last 50 seasons with at least 125 plate appearance in the four-hole through 45 games to post an average lower than Santana was Andre Thornton (.183 in 1986).
Asdrubal Cabrera went 5-5 with two home runs and five RBI on Sunday afternoon, just the 4th such game by an Indian in the baseball-reference era (since 1919) and the first by a shortstop. More than likely, he is the first shortstop in team history with such a stat line (technically it’s possible that it happened pre-1919, but highly unlikely given the lack of home runs, especially by middle infielders).
Cabrera is also the only player on that list to also steal a base in the same game.
Cabrera is also just the third Indians with five hits and two home runs from the No.2 slot in the batting order, joining Ellis Burks (June 19, 2001) and Bobby Avila (June 20, 1951).
But Cabrera’s numbers aren’t just historical by Indians standards. The only other shortstop in the baseball-reference era with at least 5 hits, 2 HR and 5 RBI was Roy McMillan of the Cincinnati Reds on April 20, 1960.
Cabrera also joins just six others – regardless of position – in the baseball-reference era with five hits, two home runs, five RBI and a stolen base.
| Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | H | HR | RBI | SB | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asdrubal Cabrera | 2011-05-22 | CLE | CIN | W 12-4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | SS |
| Danny Bautista | 2004-04-22 | ARI | MIL | W 11-9 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | RF |
| Mike Marshall | 1984-04-22 | LAD | SDP | W 15-7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | LF |
| Willie Stargell | 1968-05-22 | PIT | CHC | W 13-6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 | LF |
| Bob Johnson | 1937-08-29 (1) | PHA | CHW | W 16-0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | LF |
| Carl Reynolds | 1930-07-02 (2) | CHW | NYY | W 15-4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1 | LF |
| Jimmie Foxx | 1929-05-01 | PHA | BOS | W 24-6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1B |
The reincarnation of Travis Hafner has driven in at least two runs in each of his last three games – the fourth such streak of his career and his first since since 2006.
Hafner is the 7th Tribesman in the past 50 years with at least four three-game multi-RBI streaks, but still well behind Manny Ramirez‘s record of 14.
Hafner’s six-game streak in 2005 is tied with Juan Gonzalez (2001) and Andre Thornton (1985) for the longest in team history.
Michael Brantley and Travis Hafner each extended their hit streaks to seven games on Saturday night against the Mariners. They have each hit safety in every game in which they’ve played this season.
It’s the first time the Indians have had two players start a season with a seven-game hit streak since 2006 with Jhonny Peralta (9 games) and Victor Martinez (15).
Brantley’s streak is the longest by an Indians leadoff hitter since Milton Bradley started the 2003 season off with hits in 14 consecutive games.
The longest season-opening hit streak (since 1919) belongs to Johnny Temple, who hit safety in 19 straight games to being the 1961 season.
Only one player in baseball history has ever hit 50+ home runs with the Tribe, and then gone on to hit 50+ home runs with the Tigers. 
That man, of course, was Rocky Colavito.
But after signing a 4-year $50M deal with the Tigers, it appears that Victor Martinez will soon join him.
Two other players have accomplished the feat in reverse – 50 HR in Detroit, followed by 50 in Cleveland: Vic Wertz and Travis Fryman.
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