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"A curve ball is
not something you can pick up overnight. It took me years to
perfect mine." - Bob Gibson |
Striking out the side - plus one,
is the name of this feat. How is it done? A batter at the plate
has a two strike count. The pitch is delivered and the batter
takes a swing for strike three (a recorded strikeout); however,
in this instance the catcher does not catch the ball cleanly.
Ninety-nine percent of the time
we see the catcher simply pick up the ball and tag the batter
or throw to first to record the out. The following pitchers had
that batter reach first safely and struck out three other batters
during the same inning. |
4 Strikeouts In 1 Inning
American League |
Name |
Team |
Date |
Inning |
Walter
Johnson |
Washington |
04-15-1911 |
5th |
Guy Morton |
Cleveland |
06-11-1916 |
7th |
Ryne Duren |
Los Angeles |
05-18-1961 |
7th |
Lee Stange |
Cleveland |
09-02-1964 |
7th |
Mike Cuellar |
Baltimore |
05-29-1970 |
4th |
Mike Paxton |
Cleveland |
07-21-1978 |
5th |
Bobby Witt |
Texas |
08-02-1987 |
2nd |
Charlie Hough |
Texas |
07-04-1988 |
1st |
Matt Young |
Seattle |
09-09-1990 |
1st |
Paul Shuey |
Cleveland |
05-14-1994 |
9th |
Kevin Appier |
Kansas City |
09-03-1996 |
4th |
Wilson Alvarez |
Chicago |
07-21-1997 |
7th |
Blake Stein |
Oakland |
07-27-1998 |
4th |
Chuck Finley |
Anaheim |
05-15-1999 |
3rd |
Tim Wakefield |
Boston |
08-10-1999 |
9th |
Chuck Finley |
Anaheim |
08-15-1999 |
1st |
Chuck Finley |
Cleveland |
04-16-2000 |
3rd |
Erik Hiljus |
Oakland |
06-30-2001 |
7th |
4 Strikeouts In 1 Inning
National League |
Name |
Team |
Date |
Inning |
Ed Crane |
New York |
10-04-1888 |
5th |
George Wiltse |
New York |
05-15-1906 |
5th |
Jim Davis |
Chicago |
05-27-1956 |
6th |
Joe Nuxhall |
Cincinnati |
08-11-1959 |
6th |
Pete Richert |
Los Angeles |
04-12-1962 |
3rd |
Don Drysdale |
Los Angeles |
04-17-1965 |
2nd |
Bob Gibson |
St. Louis |
06-07-1966 |
4th |
Bill Bonham |
Chicago |
07-31-1974 |
2nd |
Phil Niekro |
Atlanta |
07-29-1977 |
6th |
Mario Soto |
Cincinnati |
05-17-1984 |
3rd |
Mike Scott |
Houston |
09-03-1986 |
5th |
Paul Assenmacher |
Atlanta |
08-22-1989 |
5th |
Tim Birtsas |
Cincinnati |
06-04-1990 |
7th |
Mark Wohlers |
Atlanta |
06-07-1995 |
9th |
Bruce Ruffin |
Colorado |
07-25-1996 |
9th |
Derek Wallace |
New York |
09-13-1996 |
9th |
Kirt Ojala |
Florida |
09-16-1998 |
4th |
Archie Corbin |
Florida |
04-28-1999 |
7th |
Jerry Spradlin |
San Francisco |
07-22-1999 |
7th |
Steve Kline |
Montreal |
08-17-1999 |
7th |
Frankie Rodriguez |
Cincinnati |
07-22-2001 |
7th |
|
In the American League, the following pitchers
struck out all four batters in consecutive order: Mike Cuellar,
Mike Paxton, Bobby Witt, Kevin Appier, Wilson Alvarez, and Chuck
Finley! |
In the National League, the following pitchers
struck out all four batters in consecutive order: Ed Crane, George
Wiltse, Jim Davis, Pete Richert, Don Drysdale, Bill Bonham, Kirt
Ojala, and Steve Kline! |
On September 30, 1885, Bobby Mathews became
the first and only pitcher in the American Association to accomplish
this unique feat! |
Copyright ©
2001 Baseball Almanac.
All Rights Reserved. |
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