San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada has now struck out the last 13 consecutive hitters he has faced, setting a new MLB modern day record (since the expansion era in 1961).
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Estrada pitched one inning last night (May 28) vs. the Miami Marlins, and he struck out the side.
Jeremiah Estrada strikes out his 13th consecutive batter. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CeGGE7XSqb
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2024
Padres manager Mike Shildt talked about the 25-year-old pitcher's success in the postgame interviews.
"It's an elite fastball. Tonight, he was throwing some splitters that were filthy. The command of the secondary pitches, coupled with a special fastball in the zone... That's what gets you 13 straight punchouts."
This record was previously held by Jose Alvarado, the Philadelphia Phillies reliever, in which he was able to strike out 11 batters in a row last season.
"It's kind of hard to believe," Estrada said. "Still sinking in. I just feel like I did my job."
With this in mind, just after last season he lost his job. As the story goes, Estrada got a call from his agent, in the beginning of November, which so happened to be on his birthday (November 1), that he was being put on waivers by his former team, the Chicago Cubs.
Last 2023-24 season, in 12 games, Estrada had a 6.75 ERA and 2.25 WHIP, with 13 strikeouts, 12 walks in 10.2 innings pitched.
Two days after being released, the Padres picked Estrada up off of waivers, and the risk has certainly paid off, to say the least.
To compare, this season the reliever has also appeared in 12 games for the Padres, but has only given up one run and four hits, sporting a much improved 0.55 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, with 28 K's and 4 BB's in 16.1 innings of work.
"We knew the stuff was there," Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. "It was just a matter of how consistent he can be in the zone."
After witnessing Estrada strike out three of his Marlins' teammates in a row to set the record, first baseman Josh Bell couldn't believe that just at the end of last season the reliever was cut.
"Did that guy get DFA'd?... How did the Padres get him?" Bell asked.
"That's nuts. He had one heck of an offseason, I guess."
The kid from the Coachella Valley makes history. pic.twitter.com/trkMkDYS8C
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 29, 2024
This redemption comeback story is one that will go in down in the record books as well.
Since before 1961, play-by-play data wasn't recorded, so Estrada has the current MLB record of 13 straight strikeouts, which to point out, have all been swinging K's as well.
Here is a video of all the 13 record breaking strikeouts:
Related: Japanese Super Prospect Breaks Strikeout Record Before Coming To MLB
