Aroldis Chapman, as he'd affirm for me, knew exactly what he was doing when he reared back for 102.9 mph of oomph to his sinker that blew through the bat of the Braves' Sean Murphy to end the ninth inning Sunday and, far bigger in scope, to become Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout king among lefty relievers:
His two strikeouts in the ninth tied, then passed Billy Wagner for his current total of 1,197, a figure that's fifth among all relievers.
"It feels good," Chapman would say. "It's a result of hard work through the years. I've put in the work every day, and thank God I can achieve a milestone like this."
And was he thinking about it out there?
He smiled and replied, "For sure, I went out there knowing I was two strikeouts away from either tying the record or go ahead. Yes, I was trying to get that today.”
Overall leader in strikeouts among relievers: Hoyt Wilhelm, who played in 1952-72, with 1,363.
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THE ASYLUM
Dejan Kovacevic
9:18 pm - 06.29.2024AtlantaAroldis Chapman, as he'd affirm for me, knew exactly what he was doing when he reared back for 102.9 mph of oomph to his sinker that blew through the bat of the Braves' Sean Murphy to end the ninth inning Sunday and, far bigger in scope, to become Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout king among lefty relievers:
Nailed the pose and all.
His two strikeouts in the ninth tied, then passed Billy Wagner for his current total of 1,197, a figure that's fifth among all relievers.
"It feels good," Chapman would say. "It's a result of hard work through the years. I've put in the work every day, and thank God I can achieve a milestone like this."
And was he thinking about it out there?
He smiled and replied, "For sure, I went out there knowing I was two strikeouts away from either tying the record or go ahead. Yes, I was trying to get that today.”
Overall leader in strikeouts among relievers: Hoyt Wilhelm, who played in 1952-72, with 1,363.
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