Corey Kluber struck out 18 — the most by an AL pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1998 — and allowed just one hit in eight innings to get his first win this season in style, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 2-0 win over St. Louis on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner, Kluber (1-5) didn’t yield a hit until Jhonny Peralta grounded a clean single to center with two outs in the seventh.
Kluber, who didn’t walk a batter, had a chance to break the major league mark of 20 strikeouts shared by Clemens and Kerry Wood, but he was pulled before the ninth after 113 pitches for closer Cody Allen, who struck out one in getting his fifth save.
Third-base coach Brad Mills, filling in for ejected manager Terry Francona, was the one who made the move with Kluber.
“Millsy knows what he’s doing,” said Francona. “You can’t manage with your heart.”
Some onlookers backed the Indians’ cautious approach, while others — seeing a 29-year-old ace with no history of arm trouble — were outraged to see Kluber denied a chance at history:
Cory Kluber with a shot at 21Ks and is pulled after 8? Isn't that kind of like pulling him with a no hitter after 8? #BleacherTweets
— Sam Martin (@5amMart1n) May 14, 2015
Kluber had a chance for the nine-inning strikeout record and gets pulled with 112 pitches. That's a crime against baseball, Terry Francona.
— 🇺🇸✨Brett Kruschke ✞ (@bkru) May 14, 2015
Kluber had a chance to break the single game strikeout record but we pulled him 9th inning… Cleveland move right there
— eddie kilbane (@ekilbane30) May 14, 2015
Taking Kluber out was the right move. History was already made, and as Francona said, you don't manage with your heart. #Indians
— Anthony DiPiero (@AnthonyDiPiero7) May 14, 2015
I get why Corey Kluber got pulled at 113. That's pitching today. But with a mature arm and clean injury history, he could've come back out.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 14, 2015
Relying heavily on a fastball in the mid-90s, the right-hander, who recently shaved off his beard as a Mother’s Day gift to his wife, Amanda, struck out the side in three innings and set down 18 straight batters after hitting Matt Holliday with a pitch in the first.
“Everything,” Francona said when asked what Kluber had working. “He elevated. He cut it. He spun it. He two-seamed it. He had everything going.”
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Kluber’s 18 strikeouts tied the club record for a nine-inning game held by Bob Feller (1938). According to information provided by the Indians, it’s just the second time since 1900 that a team has recorded 19 or more strikeouts while allowing one or less hits in a game.
As usual, the stoic Kluber — who came in 0-5 with a 5.04 ERA — wasn’t impressed by his own performance.
“Any time that you throw your name in there with Bob Feller that’s obviously very humbling and a great accomplishment,” he said. “Moreso important is obviously getting the win.”
With AP
