On Wednesday, June 14, 1978, at Rivefront Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose kicked off his 44-game hitting streak by shooting two hits in his team’s 3-1 victory over the Cubs. of Chicago and against pitcher Dave Roberts.
After 44 games, on Tuesday, August 1 at the Fulton County Stadium, in Atlanta, the pitchers, Larry McWilliams, left-handed, and right-handed Gene Garber, the latter wearing the Eagles jersey in Dominican baseball, made life impossible for the man of the 4,256. unstoppable, who was neutralized in four innings. In the first, McWillians walked him, in the second he lined out the pitcher, in the fifth he was out 6–3, then batting in the seventh off Garber, with a runner at first at bat and run fouled out. lined out to third and doubled the runner at first. In the ninth, Garber struck out all three batters he faced, including Rose, who was the third out, ending the biggest chance that the hallowed record set by Joe Dimaggio in 1941 was seriously threatened.
The year of 1978 was very good for Rose, who on Friday, May 5, fired the hit 3,000 of his career against Steve Rogers in the fifth act.
He was also the All-Star Game starter. Within his streak he overcame a difficult game, on Wednesday, July 19 against the Phillies, he had gone scoreless until the eighth inning and Cincinnati scored a career barrage and the episode was extended which gave him the opportunity to hit again in the ninth and this one with a perfect touch for the third reached the initial with a hit, because if he missed that turn his streak would culminate in 30 games with consecutive hits.
