Yesterday afternoon, three pitchers gave an excellent performance which, once put into context, is even more impressive.
Let’s go.
Jacob de Grom is an exceptional pitcher when healthy. And yesterday against the Pirates, he wasn’t perfect (he gave up a three-run homer in the sixth, which took him out of the game), but he still dominated.
In 5+ innings, he struck out no less than 13 guys. 13K. 15 strikeouts in all…wow.
Not giving up more than three runs didn’t give him a quality start due to not pitching six innings, but still: he still avoided giving up more than three runs, and this, within the framework of a 40th departure in a row, that is to say for three years.
This is an MLB record.
What’s also a (tied) MLB record is that over nine innings, the Mets struck out 20 guys yesterday.
It helps when the starter is 13/15 and when the Pirates are the opponents, we will tell each other.
Framber Valdez, meanwhile, had another quality start (at least six innings pitched and maximum three earned runs) for the Astros. In six innings, he gave up two runs, struck out seven guys and gave up just four hits.
That makes him 25 quality starts in a row, an MLB single-season record.
Spencer Strider, he had no less than 10 strikeouts in a game against Philadelphia. He pitched six innings.
This allowed him to reach the 200 strikeout mark. Strider became, since 1995, the fifth rookie to achieve the feat.
The Braves pitcher started the season with 11 relief appearances and yesterday was his 20th start of the year. So he didn’t pitch a lot of innings compared to other major league baseball pitchers.
But it still got him into the big MLB history book.
By getting his 200th strikeout after 130 innings, he became the fastest pitcher to reach that mark in a season.
The previous record? None other than the great Randy Johnson, who needed 130.2 innings.
Between Michael Harris II and him, the title of rookie of the year should be awarded to a Braves player… and let’s just say that the pitcher deserves it more than ever.
So yes, yesterday several launchers stood out.
- What a player with a specific profile, this Terrance Gore.
- Julio Rodriguez is not 100%.
- Harrison Bader back tomorrow?
