On a Friday night in Boston, Aroldis Chapman did something no relief pitcher has ever done before. And the scariest part? He’s still throwing 102 mph at age 37.
The Red Sox lefty struck out two Angels batters in a 5-2 win, pushing his career total as a reliever to 1,364 strikeouts. That’s the most in MLB history for a guy who’s never started a game. He passed some guy named Billy Wagner for the top spot.
“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I just feel very satisfied right now.”
It’s one of those records that feels both inevitable and kind of wild when you stop and think about it. Chapman has been doing this since 2010, first with the Reds, then the Cubs, Yankees, Royals, Rangers, Pirates, and now Boston. He’s been a closer, a setup guy, whatever the team needed. And through all that arm trouble and the public controversies, he just kept punching guys out.
The numbers keep adding up
Friday’s outing also gave him his 383rd career save and his 17th of the season. His ERA sits at 2.10 right now, which is pretty absurd for a guy who’s been pitching in the majors since Obama’s first term.
“I was just focused on doing the job, day in and day out over the course of the last few weeks,” Chapman said. “I had some highs and some lows, but I’ve just tried to stay positive throughout.”
Chapman’s stuff has started to dip a little this year — his fastball averages 99.1 mph instead of the 101-102 he used to live at — but he’s still striking out 12.6 batters per nine innings. That’s better than most of the guys half his age.
His teammates were watching
Interim manager Chad Tracy said the whole dugout was pulling for him to get it done in Boston. “It’s cool. We’ve been waiting for that one,” Tracy said. “What a career he’s had. The cool thing is watching the video, and you’re seeing him at a young age throwing 102, and he’s still doing it. It’s just incredible.”
The Red Sox are having a rough season. They’re 38-48 after Friday’s win, dead last in the AL East. But for one night, the record was the story. Chapman got the ball in the ninth, needed just 12 pitches, and let the history happen.
Boston and Los Angeles are back at it Saturday. Chapman’s probably not pitching again, but he’s sitting on a pretty nice milestone either way.
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