Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty set a new career high and tied an American League record Tuesday. In his first game against his former team, he made history. Jack Flaherty recorded seven straight strikeouts to start Tuesday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. This tied the American League record for strikeouts to begin a game. The Tigers right-hander also set a new career high in strikeouts by striking out 14 across 6 ⅔ shutout innings.
With 7 consecutive strikeouts to start the game against the Cardinals, Jack Flaherty has matched the American League record. pic.twitter.com/Q3A41oYYrC
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 30, 2024
The Cardinals drafted Flaherty in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The 28-year-old right-hander made his major league debut for the Redbirds in 2017 and spent seven seasons in St. Louis. Flaherty was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles at last year’s trade deadline and finished the season with a 4.99 ERA. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a one-year, $14-million contract with the Tigers.
Tigers’ Jack Flaherty Opens with Seven Straight Strikeouts
Flaherty went into Tuesday’s outing saying it wouldn’t be different than any other club, “maybe just a little more fun.” He fell two shy of the MLB record of nine strikeouts to begin a game, but became the first in Tigers history to reach seven. The right-hander’s 14 strikeouts are tied with Los Angeles Dodgers’ right-hander Tyler Glasnow for the most in the majors. He is also the first Tigers pitcher to record 14 strikeouts in a game since Max Scherzer in an eight-inning outing in 2014. Fittingly, Jack Flaherty is the first pitcher to strike out seven Cardinals in 6 ⅔ or fewer innings since 1901.
Cardinals PR reports that Jack Flaherty is the first pitcher to strike out at least 14 Cardinals in 6 2/3 IP or less since 1901.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) April 30, 2024
His historic bid was spoiled by Cardinals rookie shortstop Masyn Winn, who grounded out to short in the third to break up the streak. Tigers play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti called it, “to the dismay of historians everywhere.”
Despite Flaherty’s masterclass, the Cardinals won game one of the doubleheader, scoring two against Shelby Miller in the ninth. Flaherty has pitched to a 4.00 ERA with 50 strikeouts over 36 innings and six starts with the Tigers. He has been working on returning to his earlier Cy Young-contending form, and today’s outing was a good indicator that he’s headed in that direction.
Photo Credit: © David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
