NewsNolasco downplays 16-K performance
Righty says he's hungry for next season after historic night
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
10/01/09 4:10 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA -- Ricky Nolasco prefers to live in the moment, which is one reason why the Marlins' 26-year-old right-hander wasn't overly excited about making history on Wednesday night.In his 31st and final start of the season, Nolasco flirted with a 39-year-old Major League record.
In Florida's 5-4 win over the Braves at Turner Field, Nolasco had a stretch of striking out nine straight batters, falling one shy of Tom Seaver's record set in 1969.
Over 7 2/3 innings, Nolasco turned in one of the top pitching performances in Marlins history. He set a franchise mark with 16 strikeouts.
Low-key by nature, Nolasco isn't big on studying baseball history. Even as a kid growing up in Corona, Calif., he never was much for collecting baseball cards or any memorabilia.
So afterward, Nolasco was true to form when asked if any baseballs during the night were put aside for him.
"It's not really a big deal to me. I'm not really big on that," Nolasco said. "I don't pay attention to that stuff."
As much as Nolasco tried to shrug off the performance, the accomplishment simply can't be ignored.
For perspective, take a look at what he achieved:
• Nolasco is the fourth pitcher in MLB history to record at least nine strikeouts in a row. The all-time high is 10, set by Seaver with the Mets on April 22, 1969. Seaver, who logged 19 strikeouts that day, finished up with 10 straight against the Padres.
• Florida's previous consecutive strikeout streak was seven -- by Jesus Sanchez at Atlanta on Sept. 13, 1998.
• Prior to Nolasco, the last pitcher to log nine in a row was Jake Peavy, then with the Padres, on April 25, 2007, at Arizona.
• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other pitcher to have as many as nine consecutive strikeouts was Mickey Welch of the New York Giants against Cleveland on Aug. 18, 1884. In those days, the mound was 50 feet from the plate, compared to 60 feet, 6 inches.
• No American League pitcher has struck out more than eight in a row.
• Nolasco's 16 strikeouts topped A.J. Burnett's club record. Burnett twice had 14, on July 6, 2005, and Aug. 29, 2004.
• Livan Hernandez had 15 strikeouts on Oct. 12, 1997, in Florida's National League Championship Series against the Braves.
• The 16 strikeouts also are the most by any big league pitcher this season. Zack Greinke of the Royals (Aug. 25) and Tim Lincecum of the Giants (July 27) each had 15.
• Johan Santana, then with the Twins, is the last MLB pitcher with more than 16 strikeouts. The left-hander whiffed 17 while facing the Rangers on Aug. 19, 2007.
• Nolasco finished the year with 195 strikeouts, the sixth most in Marlins history. It's the most by a Florida pitcher since Burnett had 198 in 2005. Only four pitchers in team history struck out more than 200 in a season.
• Nolasco's previous strikeout high for a game was 13, against the Rockies on Aug. 2, 2008.
Nolasco's awe-inspiring streak began in the third inning. Methodically, he retired the sides in order -- all with strikeouts -- in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Of the nine, eight Braves went down swinging, with only pitcher Javier Vazquez taking strike three. The only three-ball count was to Nate McLouth, who became the seventh victim opening up the fourth inning.
Leading off the fifth inning, Brian McCann swatted a long fly ball to right field. It had home run distance, but drifted foul. That was the closest ball put in play.
"I definitely made a bad pitch to him that ran right into his swing," Nolasco said. "I thought it was fair at first, and then I saw it hooking. He's definitely not an easy out."
Still, McCann went down swinging.
The Braves finally put the ball in play in the sixth inning when Adam LaRoche led off with a double.
In all, Nolasco threw 123 pitches -- with 83 strikes -- before handing the ball over to reliever Dan Meyer with two outs in the eighth inning.
To Nolasco, more important than the high strikeout total was the fact he finished his season on a high.
Although his record was 13-9, the season was a bit disappointing, reflected by his 5.06 ERA.
After going 15-8 in 2008, Nolasco was named the team's Opening Day starter. But he struggled early, and his low point came on May 22, when he gave up eight runs to the Rays in two innings. The Marlins optioned him to Triple-A New Orleans after the game. He rejoined the rotation on June 7.
"It definitely didn't start out the way [I wanted]," Nolasco said of his season. "But in this game, it's all about the adjustments that you make, and the way you finish.
"My back was against the wall there for a while. I just told myself, no matter what was going to happen, I was going to finish strong. That's just something I'm proud of. Overall, it's something that will make me hungry to come in and do better next year."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
