D-Backs' Ildemaro Vargas has hit streak ended at 27 games, second-longest to open MLB season

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas had his hitting streak ended at 27 games after going 0-for-4 in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Vargas, 34, got a base hit in each of the D-Backs’ previous 24 games this season and three more in Arizona’s final three games last year. After hitting 4-for-4 — his best performance during the streak — he came into Saturday’s game with a .404 batting average.

With the hitless game, Vargas still leads MLB with an .388 batting average. His .412 on-base percentage ranks fifth in the National League and he leads the league with a .673 slugging percentage.

In his four plate appearances on Saturday, Vargas grounded out to third base in the first inning, flew out to center field in the fourth and grounded out to shortstop in the seventh against Cubs starter Shota Imanaga. In the ninth, Vargas hit a ground ball to shortstop facing reliever Ben Brown.

As a team, Arizona managed only four hits against Imanaga and Brown on Saturday.

Vargas’ streak ends as the second-longest to begin a season in MLB history. Ron LeFlore opened the 1976 campaign with hits in 30 consecutive games for the Detroit Tigers. But Vargas still had the longest hitting streak in baseball since Trea Turner’s 27 games from 2021-22.