Carl Crawford is the latest Tampa Bay Ray on a hot streak

May 13, 12:23 PMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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"I'm on FIRE!! Help me Tom Cruise! Help me Oprah!" AP/Nick Wass

For a team sitting four games under .500, the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays have seen plenty of hitters go on impressive hot streaks this season. Jason Bartlett, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria have all been hot since the beginning of the season. Don’t forget about Carl Crawford though.

The dean of the Rays is absolutely on fire. The first few weeks of the season were a struggle for Carl and he found himself hitting .224 with a miserable OBP of .246 and only three multi-hit games entering play on April 22. Since then, however, Crawford may be the hottest hitter in the league.

In the 20 games played from April 22 through last night’s 7-5 loss to the Orioles, CC has raised his average over 100 points to its current .336. On this 20-game hot streak, the veteran leftfielder is hitting .415 with a homer and 10 RBI. Carl has had multiple hits in 11 of those 20 games. He’s also drawn 12 walks, after drawing only one in the first 14 games of the season. Those walks put Carl’s OBP during this span at .495.

What happens when Carl Crawford gets on base close to 50% of the time? The answer to that is a lot of stolen bases. How about 18 in the last 20 games, highlighted by a record-tying six in one game against the Red Sox on May 3? Crawford’s 22 steals lead the American League and he’s still on pace for more than 100 this season. Don’t forget Carl has yet to be thrown out trying to steal this year.

Carl’s been an absolute terror at the top of the lineup, setting the table perfectly for Evan Longoria’s assault on the RBI record books. The two have been feeding off each other and thanks in large part to Longo’s RBI prowess, Carl has been able to score 20 runs in these last 20 games.

Despite Carl’s top of the lineup fireworks, the Rays have only managed to post a record of 10-10 during this streak. Inconsistency is still plaguing the team. Rays fans need to remain hopeful the team will find its stride.

It’s great to see Crawford leading the charge, though, and if anyone on the team is capable of igniting the rest of the team, it’s this guy. Hopefully this will rub off on B.J. Upton. The Rays need to get Upton going in the worst way. There’s still a long, long way to go and when Upton starts hitting this lineup will become scary good.

The Rays go for the split against Baltimore tonight, sending Jeff Niemann to the hill against rookie Brian Bergesen of the O’s.

Are you a sick sadomasochist and want to relive last night’s 7-5 loss through the perspective of the Baltimore fan base? Then check out Baltimore Orioles Examiner Jay Trucker’s live examination of the game.

The Rays’ record for most consecutive multi-hit games is Crawford’s eight in a row from August of 2007. He’s got five in a row right now. Do you think he’ll break his own record? Let me know in a comment.

Jason Bartlett hits: 42

Jason Bartlett groundball singles between short and third: 8

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