Blink, and Starling Marte just stole another base for the Athletics. The veteran outfielder has been the spark the A's badly needed at the MLB trade deadline, especially with his tantalizing skills on the base paths.
Marte stole two more bases Sunday in the A's 2-1 loss to the Giants in Oakland. Buster Posey, who still is one of the best catchers defensively in all of baseball, couldn't believe Marte keeps swiping bags with such ease.
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SIGN UP HERE At this point, though, it comes as no surprise to A's outfielder Mark Canha.
"It's funny. It's like a given almost," Canha said Sunday to reporters. "You're just like 'All right, he's going to steal now and he's going to be safe.' Every time he gets on, it's like he hits a double, basically. So it's helpful."
Pitcher Chris Bassitt, who currently is on the 10-day injured list after a scary injury where he was hit in the face by a line drive, took a step further. How far? Bassitt compared Marte to a modern-day Rickey Henderson.
RELATED: Montas stepping into ace role with Bassitt sidelined
Marte stole four bases in the A's three-game series against the Giants, and has stolen at least one base in five straight games. The 32-year-old now is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen bases attempts since being acquired from the Miami Marlins. He leads the major leagues with 39 total stolen bases, and only has been caught three times, all of which came as a Marlin.
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In 22 games with the A's, Marte is slashing .358/.392/.505 and has hit two home runs and eight doubles. He has been much more than a base-stealing machine, but it's hard to ignore his thievery on the bases.