Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty tied the American League record for strikeouts to begin a game on Tuesday, punching out seven consecutive St. Louis Cardinals in his first career meeting against his former team (GameTracker). He also established a new career high in strikeouts, notching 14 across 6 2/3 shutout frames.
Flaherty, 28, sliced through the Cardinals lineup behind a steady diet of mid-90s fastballs, sliders, and knuckle curveballs. He generated 24 whiffs on 47 swings, including 11 on fastballs. Overall, he finished the afternoon having surrendered two hits and a walk on 93 pitches.
Jack Flaherty has 12 strikeouts through 5 IP.
— MLB (@MLB) April 30, 2024
He's thrown 65 pitches 👀 pic.twitter.com/kbV0x676BY
Flaherty is the fourth AL pitcher to open with seven straight strikeouts. Joe Cowley set the mark in 1986 as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Subsequently, Carlos Rodón and Blake Snell have matched it.
The modern Major League Baseball record for strikeouts to begin a game is nine, set by Pablo López when he was a member of the Miami Marlins in 2021. López broke a three-way tie for first that had previously included Germán Márquez (2018), Jacob deGrom (2014), and Jim DeShaies (1986). Each struck out eight in a row to start a game.
The "modern" descriptor is important in that preceding paragraph. Mickey Welch technically struck out nine consecutive to begin a contest for the New York Gothams in 1884. As such, you could argue that López owns only a share of the record.
Flaherty entered Tuesday's start sporting a 4.91 ERA (83 ERA+) and a 9.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 29 1/3 innings. He pitched with the Cardinals from 2017-23, moving on last deadline following a trade that sent him to the Baltimore Orioles. Flaherty then signed a one-year pact with the Tigers as a free agent.
Despite Flaherty's dominance, the Cardinals eked out a win, putting two runs across in the top of the ninth against Shelby Miller.
