Marcus Semien Streaking for Texas Rangers

It's not just Marcus Semien's 22-game hitting streak, it's the way he's served as a catalyst for the Texas Rangers offense.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien’s 22-game hit streak almost seems secondary right now.

Not that chasing down Gabe Kapler’s Rangers-record 28-game hitting streak isn’t important. Not that Semien’s career-high hitting streak — and 30-game career-high on-base streak — aren’t important, either.

But Semien was a triple shy of the cycle after the Rangers’ 16-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at Globe Life Field. He went 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored.

The entire offense is producing. Semien just seems to be the catalyst.

“It’s so hard to quantify,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of Semien’s importance in the lineup. “He’s out there every day. The defense he gives you, what he does offensively, what he gives you in the clubhouse. I really don’t know how you measure it all.”

Semien has been productive all season, but his last few weeks have pushed his average above the .300 mark and put him in position for his second All-Star Game berth.

Semien has batted .330/.362/.577/.939 (32-for-97) with four home runs, eight doubles, 19 RBI and 24 runs since May 10. During that stretch his overall batting average has gone from .286 to .304.

Overall he’s slashing .304/.371/.506/.877 with nine home runs and 47 RBI. He the Major League leader in several categories among second basemen.

It’s a far cry from this time last season when Semien was just starting to dig out of a two-month slump that saw him hover around .200 into late May and he needed until late May to hit his first home run.

Plus, he has plenty of help. And he knows it.

“I’ve been on some pretty good teams,” Semien said. “I think this one is probably the deepest one.”

The Rangers’ team batting average (.272) is best in the Major Leagues. Texas has been the league’s best hitting team with runners in scoring position all season. The Rangers’ run differential is one of the best in baseball history right now and on par with that of the 1927 New York Yankees, the infamous “Murderer’s Row.”

Meanwhile, Semien is locked in offensively that Kapler’s hitting streak looks like it’s in jeopardy. Of course, it looked that way last year when Adolis García put together a 23-game hitting streak, which tied him for the fifth-longest in Rangers history with Michael Young (2008) and Josh Hamilton (2010).

But García petered out after 23 games.

Semien seems to be showing no signs of slowing down.

The AL West-leading Rangers go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon with Nathan Eovaldi (7-2, 2.42) on the mound. Bryce Miller (3-2, 3.00) starts for Seattle, with first pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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