Rodriguez Sets Rangers Record by Retiring 34 Consecutive Batters

Texas Rangers pitcher Wandy Rodriguez set a franchise record in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, extending his streak of retired batters to a remarkable 34, per MLB Stat of the Day.

The streak started in Tuesday's 7-1 road win over the Astros, with the 36-year-old Rodriguez sitting down the final 19 batters he faced against his former team.

He allowed one run on three hits and a walk over the first two innings of that outing, but starting with the final out of the second inning, he was perfect for the rest of the day.

Rodriguez then came back strong Sunday afternoon, carrying a perfect game through five innings against Tampa Bay.

Rays second baseman Tim Beckham broke the streak with a single to lead off the sixth inning and then later came around to score on a single by outfielder Brandon Guyer.

Rodriguez finished with six strikeouts over six innings, allowing just the one run on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman, with all of that damage coming in his final frame.

Though he got out of a bases-loaded jam in said inning, Rodriguez did not factor into the decision, as he exited with the game tied at one apiece.

After signing a minor league contract this offseason, the former Astros mainstay has been better than the Rangers ever could have hoped for through four outings.

Rodriguez has only a 1-1 record, but his 2.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 23.1 innings are impressive, while his 22-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio is also respectable.

Still, fans should probably hold their expectations in check, as he hasn't been great outside of the impressive 34-batter streak.