Cuddyer uncovered

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss called Michael Cuddyer “one of the better kept secrets in the game.”

That perception might change soon.

Cuddyer homered in his first at-bat to extend the major league’s longest hitting streak this season to 21 games – and the Rockies hung on to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6 Sunday.

Cuddyer went 3 for 4 with four RBIs to break a tie with St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese for the year’s top streak, and the Rockies right fielder is now just two games shy of matching the franchise’s best run. Dante Bichette, now the team’s hitting coach, had hits in 23 consecutive games in 1995.

Cuddyer also extended his Colorado record for consecutive games reaching base to 40.

And if all that means he gets more recognition, he wouldn’t mind.

“After 12 years of being in the big leagues, you don’t like to think of yourself as a secret,” Cuddyer said with a laugh.

Not that he would mind remaining under the radar, either.

“He doesn’t care about that stuff,” Weiss said. “He likes to show up, compete and work on his beard. That’s all that matters to Cuddy.”

With his wife and son in attendance, Cuddyer, a Virginia native, had an RBI single in Colorado’s three-run third inning and a two-run single in a three-run fourth, an inning Nolan Arenado led off with a homer.

Costner takes cuts in Cleveland

Kevin Costner took timeout from filming his football movie in Cleveland for a little batting practice before the Indians played the Minnesota Twins.

“We have a new player, bro,” Indians first baseman Nick Swisher said of the actor who will play the general manager of the Cleveland Browns in the movie “Draft Day.” “We signed him to a one-day contract. We’ve got Kevin Costner on our side.”

Wearing an Indians’ jersey and cap, Costner hit several line drives from pitches thrown by bullpen coach Kevin Cash. He also played catch in the outfield, fielded grounders at shortstop and took time to chat with several players and coaches.

“I was actually glad I made contact because I haven’t swung in a couple years,” Costner said.

While in town, he’s attended several games and thinks the Indians can win the American League Central.

“I’ve been to about three or four games and they’ve won every one of them,” Costner said. “I really think this team could win the division. I’ve watched a lot of baseball and they have a couple of good pieces of DNA, and one of them is they come from behind. Not all teams can do that. They’ve got the right amount of athletic arrogance to do that.”