Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Right-Hander Joins Legends in Baseball History w/ Excellent Start

The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, but right-hander Bowden Francis continued to do his part on the mound.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis (44) tips hits cap to the crowd as he walks towards the dugout after being relieved against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre on Sept 11.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis (44) tips hits cap to the crowd as he walks towards the dugout after being relieved against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre on Sept 11. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Wednesday night at Globe Life Field. With the loss, Toronto is now 72-80. They are trying to avoid finishing last in the American League East but remain in the basement for now.

The World Champion Rangers are 73-79 in what is a disappointing follow-up year for them.

Despite the loss, Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis continued to dominate on the mound. The 28-year-old, who has filled in admirably because of injuries this year, went 6.0 innings. He gave up two earned runs on five hits while walking one and striking out six.

He's now 8-5 on the year with a 3.47 ERA.

Because of yet another stellar performance, Francis is now part of some awesome baseball history.

Per @StatsCentre on social media:

(Related) Fewest hits allowed in a 9 start span of one season (min. 60 IP):
24- Francis (Jul-Sep 2024 despite 5 in tonight's 2-0 #BlueJays loss vs TEX)
24- Santana (Jun-Aug 2004)
25- Justin Verlander (Apr-May 2019)
25- Brandon Woodruff (Apr-May 2021)
26- Zac Gallen (Aug-Sep 2022)

Santana won a Cy Young Award, while Verlander is going to be a Hall of Famer, so that's awesome company for Francis to be in.

He's struck out 88 batters in 98.2 innings this season and has a WHIP of 0.93. He's appeared in 26 games.

With Alek Manoah and Ricky Tiedemann both undergoing surgeries and not able to pitch for at least a large portion of the 2025 season, Francis figures to get a long look at a rotation spot next year as well.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published |Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/History