Yesterday, in a shut-out eight inning outing which ended in a 9-0 Red Sox win against the Orioles, Chris Sale recorded the 300th strike-out of his '17 campaign when he caught Ryan Faherty looking at a filthy curveball. It was the 13th and final K of his start. It marked the 35th such campaign in MLB history and the first AL contribution to that since fellow Sox hurler Pedro Martinez did-so back in 1999. Pedro set the franchise mark that year at 313. There are two too many 13s mentioned in this opening paragraph, so I'll start another now.
The previous 300 whiff season was in 2015 whenst the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw fanned 301. That being the only other instance of this in the last 15 years. Although in 2002, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling each tossed three-bills as Diamondbacks teammates. The all-time recorded record was set back in 1886 by one Matt Kilroy, a 20 year-old southpaw who set-down 513 flannel-clad lads.
Fans at B'more's Camden Yards gave Sale a standing O upon his accomplishment. O's supporters ain't had much else to O about this season, so why the heck not? His fellow Sox squad members joined in and he was given a hero's welcome back into their dug-out. Those hugs turned champagne-dampened a tick later, as an Angels loss clinched at least a Wild-card berth for Boston's boys.
This bit of history again sees a Sale/Martinez coupling, in that the tandem constitutes one half of MLB pitchers whom struck-out 300 in their first season in a new uniform. The Chicago White Sox could not be reached for comment, or at least heard over the echoing of constant gun-shots.
"I Was the Cook" Kaplowitz Radio: September 20, 2017