Aroldis Champman Has Shot at Pirates Record
Paul Skenes wasn't the only pitcher to make history for the Pittsburgh Pirates in their 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Great American Ballpark.
Aroldis Chapman tied the team's franchise record for strikeouts by a left-handed relief pitcher and fittingly did it against the team that originally signed him. The flame-throwing left-hander pitched a scoreless ninth inning and struck out two batters to earn his 11th save of the season.
Chapman tied the Pirates record when he blew a 102-mile-per- hour fastball past Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz for the second out of the inning. Chapman retired the side in order when he got Tyler Stephenson to ground out to Nick Gonzales to end the game and salvage the series for the Pittsburgh.
With his second punchout of the day and 94th of the season, Aroldis Chapman is now tied for the most strikeouts in a single season by a left-handed Pirates reliever. pic.twitter.com/XTHdmwhoR4
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 22, 2024
Chapman's outing was his third in a row without allowing a run.
The Pirates' pitching staff was nothing short of dominant, as five pitchers combined to pitch nine innings, allowing three hits one walk and striking out 13 batters. Paul Skenes earned his 11th win of the season, pitching five shutout innings and striking out nine batters.
With the win, Pittsburgh went 8-5 against the Reds this season. After the Pirates' win, Cincinnati fired manager David Bell.
Chapman, 36, is 5-5 this season with a 3.97 ERA and has pitched 59 innings across 65 appearances this season. His 26 earned runs allowed are already the most he has allowed in a single season, while 43 hits allowed have matched a career-high.
Chapman has had his ups and downs with the Pirates and will be a free agent after this season. While he's proven to still have some gas left in the tank and Pittsburgh has question marks in its bullpen beyond this season, it'll be interesting to see if the two parties stay together beyond 2024 or if they go in different directions with the Pirates prioritizing younger arms while Chapman eyes a contender to sign with.
NATHANIEL MARRERO