Don’t blame Phil Miller, blame the Twins.
Miller uncovered a gem of a stat, and Michael Rand reminds us of this beauty here.
Justin Verlander has struck out 6 of last 7 batters. He also has 8 Ks in 3 innings. No Twins starter has struck out 8 in a game this year.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) September 24, 2013
Last time a team went an entire season without any pitcher striking out more than 7 in a game? 30 years ago — the 1983 Kansas City Royals.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) September 24, 2013
The last Twins starter to fan 8+ im a game was Samuel Deduno on August 29, 2012.
With only five games to go, there’s a realistic chance the Twins don’t finish with 1,000 team strikeouts for a third straight season. They are the only team in each of the last two seasons without 1,000+ pitcher strikeouts.
On the other side of the strikeout spectrum, Twins hitters have whiffed a team record 1,369 times entering Wednesday’s game against Detroit. It’s the second worst total in MLB behind the Houston Astros, who have a chance to set an all-time record.
