Rangers History Today: Kevin Mench's Seven-Game HR Streak
On this date in Texas Rangers history, outfielder Kevin Mench became the first right-handed hitter in American League history to hit home runs in seven consecutive games.
On April 28, 2006, Mench connected in that seventh straight game, blasting a solo home run off Cleveland’s Guillermo Mota in the eighth inning.
Mench’s streak looked like this:
April 21: grand slam home run, off Tampa Bay’s Seth McClung, in the first inning at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 22: three-run home run, off Tampa Bay’s Edwin Jackson, in the second inning at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 23: two-run home run, off Tampa Bay’s Casey Fossum, in the third inning at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 24: solo home run, off Oakland’s Joe Blanton, in the second inning at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 25: solo home run, off Oakland’s Barry Zito, in the third inning at x Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 26: grand slam home run, off Oakland’s Kiko Calero, in the fourth inning at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas;
April 28: solo home run, off Cleveland’s Guillermo Mota, in the eighth inning at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Those were Mench’s first seven home runs of the season. The streak ended the next night in Cleveland, as he went 1-for-3 and drove in a run, but didn’t homer. He fell one short of the Major League record for consecutive games with a home run. But, Mench was also named the American League's Player of the Month for April.
Mench didn’t finish the season with the Rangers, as he was traded to Milwaukee at the deadline, a deal that netted the Rangers Carlos Lee and a young slugger named Nelson Cruz.
Mench played eight years in the Majors, five of which were for the Rangers. He was a .268 career hitter with 89 career home runs. But those seven will live in Rangers lore forever.
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