Paul Goldschmidt

Ahmed hitting .313 last 23 games as D-backs head to Texas

Published Jul. 6, 2015 5:09 p.m. ET

Chris Gabel

Nick Ahmed's three-hit afternoon on Sunday capped a big homestand for the Diamondbacks shortstop.

Ahmed hit .384 (10 for 26) in the seven games at Chase Field, including three home runs to bring his season total to six.

That's a third of the home runs Ahmed hit in four minor league seasons. His career high in the minors was six while with High-A Lynchburg in the Carolina League in 2012.

"It's not something where I'm going out trying to hit home runs, it's something where I'm trying to hit the ball hard, like always, and stay through the middle of the field," Ahmed told FOX Sports Arizona's Jody Jackson.

Ahmed's early season struggles -- he hit .140 in April and was as low as .130 on May 11 -- seem like the outlier after his recent uprising, which includes an eight-game hit streak heading into this week's series against the Rangers in Texas. He is batting .313 with a .360 on-base percentage, .475 slugging percentage and .835 OPS in his last 23 games, and in six games batting leadoff since Ender Inciarte landed on the disabled list, Ahmed is hitting .296.

"It's just good to get on base in front of guys like A.J. (Pollock) and Goldy (Paul Goldschmidt)," the slick-fielding Ahmed said.

After two games in Texas, the D-backs head to New York for three games against the Mets, some 130 miles from where Ahmed grew up in East Longmeadow, Mass.

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