Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros reached a major milestone on Wednesday night, becoming the eighteenth pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball to record 300 strikeouts in a single season.
Cole got Shin-Soo Choo to swing and miss on an 89 mile per hour to end the sixth inning, recording his eighth strikeout of the game and his three-hundredth of what has been a dominant season for the righty.
Not only did Cole break the 300 strikeout barrier in his start, but he also finished the night with ten strikeouts. This was his seventh consecutive start with at least ten strikeouts, tying him for fourth place on the all-time Major League list.
Cole allowed 2 runs and struck out ten batters in Houston’s 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers, the team’s 100th victory of the season.
The UCLA alum appears to be the front-runner for this year’s AL Cy Young Award. Cole has been great all season, recording an 18-5 record with 302 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA as the Astros’ co-ace along with Justin Verlander.
It’s been a season to remember for Cole, and Wednesday is a night that he will certainly never forget.
