Ryan Zimmerman 30 Game Hit Streak Comes to an End

When it comes to the Washington Nationals there really isn’t much excitement that follows the team where they go. They are not in the top tier of the league and rarely make moves in the off season to better their team. Aside from the fact that they have the first overall draft pick in the MLB draft in June, there usually isn’t too much excitement surrounding the team.

That was until Ryan Zimmerman began the 2009 on a tear and was able to put together a 30 game hitting streak. Unfortunately, last night his streak came to a crashing halt last night in a game against the San Francisco Giants. Zimmerman was only 26 games short of Joe Dimaggio's amazing record that has been in place since 1941. Even though Zimmerman was playing for the visiting team and was unable to extend his streak, the fans at AT&T Park gave him a standing ovation.

While the time was special for Zimmerman and the Nationals, it is now over and there doesn’t seem to be too much else to look forward to for the rest of the year. That is unless Zimmerman can find a way to start a new streak all over again.

Zimmerman was unable to come up with a hit in his three at bats and was issued two walks in the game. While he came just over halfway to Dimaggio's mark, the streak was still pretty remarkable in its own right. Only seven players since the year 2000 have been able to put a streak of 30 games with a hit together.

Giants starter Barry Zito can be credited with keeping Zimmerman off balance for most of the game and even intentionally walked him in the seventh inning. While the move to intentionally walk him will probably be questioned by many, the fact is that you have to do whatever it takes to win. Zito was pitching in a tight game and was facing one of the best hitters in the league so far this season. Zito has been able to pitch a lot harder this year than last year and may be able to put up the numbers that he was supposed to when he signed a big free agent contract.

The Zimmerman hitting streak was one of the big stories so far this 2009 but there are sure to be plenty more. Randy Johnson is just a few wins away from his 300^th win and Gary Sheffield should be due for his 500^th home run any day now. And the exciting thing about baseball is that any player can start a new hitting streak any day of the week. Whether you are an avid baseball fan or just a casual viewer the 2009 season has already lived up to its high expectations and we should continue to see some memorable moments and exciting games all season long. Be sure to tune in as often as gain, with the MLB you just never know when something exhilarating and unexpected can happen, and when it does you do not want to miss it.