NEW YORK -- Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar was erased in the first inning of Game 4 on a fun little oddity, but he got on base by virtue of a single. The knock was Escobar's 22nd hit of this postseason and that is really something.
In fact, only 11 times in postseason history has a player collected more hits than Escobar has this year.
26
Pablo Sandoval, 2014
25
Marquis Grissom, 25, 1995
Darin Erstad, 25, 2002
David Freese, 25, 2011
24
Marty Barrett, 1986
Tino Martinez, 2000
Albert Pujols, 2004
Albert Pujols, 2011
Pablo Sandoval, 2012
23
Steve Garvey, 1981
Marquis Grissom, 1996
Savvy minds will notice something about the list above. Well, other than taking note of the guys who did it twice (Sandoval, Pujols and Grissom). There are no shortstops on there.
Derek Jeter did it in 1996, 2003 and 2009, but no shortstop has ever had more hits in a single postseason than Alcides Escobar.
It's remarkable and something worth following the rest of the way. Could Escobar get to Sandoval? Coincidentally, his Royals might need to lose a game or two, but he has a real shot. He'd be the most unlikely guy on the above list with 23-plus hits, too (even Barrett was more productive in the 1986 regular season than Escobar was this year).
