Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, at 37, is having one of the most dominant seasons of his career, a run he highlighted Sunday by striking out four batters in a single inning.
The eight-time All-Star is in the midst of a historic stretch for a relief pitcher. Combining his 100-plus mph fastball with precise off-speed pitches, Chapman has not allowed a hit in his last 17 appearances, a streak spanning 14⅔ innings dating back to July 26. It is the third-longest such streak in MLB since 1901.
“This is special,” said Boston manager Alex Cora, who recorded his 600th career victory with Sunday’s 7-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “To do it at this age and where we’re at as an industry, as far as the hitters and the adjustments they make, it’s unreal.”
Chapman has given up just one earned run in his past 37 games—a solo home run on July 23. He had retired 21 consecutive batters before Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas reached base on a wild pitch after striking out in Sunday’s game. Unfazed, Chapman then struck out Jordan Lawlar for his 29th save, becoming just the second pitcher this season to record four strikeouts in an inning. The performance lowered his ERA to 0.98.
“He’s so nasty, and showing people he can still do a lot of great things,” said Red Sox starter Brayan Bello.
Famed throughout his 16-year career for his record-breaking velocity, Chapman is now augmenting his power with craft, effectively locating sliders and splitters to keep hitters off balance.
“It’s just something that happened,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “My mentality is to go get three outs and go for a strikeout.”
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