It isn’t often that a MLB pitcher gets ten or more strikeouts and issues no bases on balls in a game. The way things are headed in baseball nowadays it will probably be even an even rarer event in the future. The other day New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom struck out 14 with no walks over eight innings and all he got for his efforts was a “L” after he gave up a home run to the Miami Marlins Jazz Chisholm in in the second inning and his team ended up losing 3-0.
So that got me to wondering how often Twins pitchers have had ten strikeouts and no walks in a game. Just for the record, Bert Blyleven is the only Twins pitcher to strike out 14 batters in a game with no BB and still take home a loss. That took place on September 24, 1986 in a 2-1 Twins loss to the Kansas City Royals at the Metrodome and only 6,835 fans were on hand to witness it.
All in all there have been 48 games (four of them were losses) in which Minnesota pitchers have had ten strikeouts and no walks in a game. The first to do it was Jim Kaat back in 1962 and the most recent was Jose Berrios in his April 3 start. As a matter of fact, Berrios has pitched the last five games of this type. I think it goes to show just how under-appreciated a pitcher that Jose Berrios is. The most frequent Twins pitcher to do it was Johan Santana who accomplished this feat eight times between 2004-2007. Some of the names on this list that surprised me the most were Trevor May, Kevin Slowey and Mark Guthrie. So here is the list of Twins pitchers with games of ten or more strikeout and zero walks between 1961- early 2021.
Mudcat…damn spellcheck!!
Great site. I am a diehard Red Sox fan going back to the waning days of Ted Williams.
However, always rooted for American League in All Star and World Series. Still remember the 1965 Series and consider it one of the best. Alas, Sandy Koufax was too much in Game 7.
Memories like Bobby Allison’s great catch in left; Earl Battey face planting into the backstop going after a foul pop. I still have the starting nine embedded into the back of my gray matter-Battey, Killebrew, Quillici, Versailles, Rollins, Allison, Lemon and Olivia
with Kaat and Muscat the stalwarts of the mound. And managed by a native Bay Stater-Sam Mele.
My allegiances were all Red Sox in 1967 and that season ending series.
I am a new fan of your site.
Thank you for the kind words. Always great to get fans memories of when they were young baseball fans. I got hooked on baseball in 1957 listening to the nearest team at the time, the Milwaukee Braves on my transistor radio as I grew up on a dairy farm in east central Minnesota. The Braves whipped those pain in the butt New York Yankees that year and the Braves are still my favorite NL team and I still hate the Yankees. I graduated from high school in 1965 but I missed the 65 World Series and maybe the greatest pennant race ever in 1967 as I was in the Navy cruising around aboard the USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) working as a radarman and ECM specialist. Back then there obviously was no internet and no access to the news/sports unless you subscribed to a newspaper/magazine and you might or might not get them because someone along the way wanted to read them first. I did an interview with Mr. Mele that you can listen too on the Interview Archives page. Hope you keep stopping by the site.
John,
My memory is not as good as I thought. I rattled off those Twins lineup names from memory. I just went to Baseball Reference and. I mixed up Jimmie Hall with Jim Lemon and completely forgot Jim Mincher! Time to visit Target for a bottle of Previgan.