Cleveland Indians ace and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber flirted with history on Wednesday night, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Corey Kluber strikes out 18 in Indians’ shutout of Cardinals
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Kluber struck out a career-high 18 batters on Wednesday, including fanning 10 of 11 batters at one point from the third to the sixth innings. Kluber’s 18 strikeouts were the most by an Indians pitcher since Luis Tiant struck out 19 in 1968.
The 18 strikeouts were the most by any major league pitcher since Ben Sheets struck out 18 Braves for the Brewers on May 16, 2004.
The shutout win looked for a while like more, as Kluber took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, broken up by a Jhonny Peralta single to center field. The Indians have had 14 no-hitters in their history, but none since Len Barker's perfect game in on May 15, 1981 against the Blue Jays.
Kluber also didn't walk anybody; his only other blemish was hitting Matt Holliday with a pitch in the first inning.
Holliday, whose hit by pitch gave him a major-league-best 33 consecutive games reaching base, remained in the game for one more inning before departing in the middle of the second inning, replaced in left field by Pete Kozma.
When Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, home plate umpire Mike Everitt warned both teams, then ejected Indians manager Terry Francona for arguing.
But that was all a mere sideshow to Kluber, who was removed after eight innings and 113 pitches in favor of Cody Allen, who picked up his fifth save.
Kluber was 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA in 34 starts for the Indians in 2014, and struck out 269 batters en route to the Cy Young Award. But he started off this season 0-5 with a 5.04 ERA. Make that 1-5, after Kluber’s masterpiece, and 64 strikeouts to lead the majors.
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