Cubs' Burks reaches base 11 straight times

As a No. 2 hitter in the Boise lineup, Charcer Burks has somewhat of a hybrid job description -- get on base and drive in runs. Over the past couple games, there's been nobody better at succeeding in that role.

The Cubs outfield prospect Burks went 2-for-5 with a walk and the game-winning single in the short-season Boise Hawks' 9-8 win over the visiting Eugene Emeralds at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday.

Selected by Chicago in the ninth round of the 2013 Draft out of William B. Travis High School in Austin, Texas, Burks reached in his first two trips to the plate with a first-inning bunt single and a second-inning walk.
That made it 11 consecutive plate appearances in which the right fielder reached base safely. He entered the game having not been retired in either of his previous two contests.

"I go up there every time and try to be 1-for-1," said Burks, who added he wasn't aware of the streak. "Every time I step in the box, I'm 0-for-0, so I just try to make something happen to get on base. I just go up there at 0-for-0 and know now I need to be 1-for-1.

"I try to play according to where I am [in the lineup]. Everybody has a role on the team and 1-2 is about on-base percentage and making things happen early."

Burks walked in his first two at-bats Sunday against Eugene before singling in the fourth and fifth and walking again in the sixth. On Monday, he walked in the first and third, singled in the fourth and walked in the sixth against the Emeralds before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.

The run came to an end Tuesday in the fifth when Burks bunted the ball back to pitcher Walker Weickel in his third at-bat. But the 19-year-old got the last laugh when he plated the winning run.

With runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the 10th, Burks singled to right field off Seth Lucio (1-1) to chase home Bryant Flete and set off a celebration between first and second base by his Hawks teammates.

"The pitcher was throwing pretty firm," said Burks. "I could tell he was a guy that can blow fastballs by you. I realized that, so I was sitting fastball. I didn't care if he threw a slider or anything, I was just going to wait until he threw a fastball.

"He threw me a first-pitch fastball over the plate. It was middle-away and I hopped on it. It went right in between [center and right]. I knew it was bringing in the run. It was crazy. I knew right off the bat I had just won the game, so I was ready to go and celebrate. When I turned around, I saw everybody running out toward me."

Burks is batting .310 with 16 RBIs and 28 runs scored in 38 Northwest League games for Boise. He hit .269 in 31 Rookie-level games for the Cubs' Arizona League affiliate in his first pro action last season.

"I think the biggest thing is that I'm young right now, but what I'll take away from this year is what I'm learning," he said. "I'm picking up a lot of things. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I haven't made them twice. If I make a mistake, I correct it.

"That wasn't me tonight, it was all God. I'm a very religious dude. Only a small part of that was me and it just happened to come at the end. The rest was from the rest of the team and the man above."