Red Sox Minor League Pitcher Strikes Out 12 Consecutive Batters In Class A Playoff Game

On Thursday night, September 5, the Lowell Spinners hosted the Batavia Muckdogs in Game 2 of their New York-Penn League playoff series. In the top of the fourth, Yusniel Padron-Artiles took the mound in relief of Jay Groome.

Padron-Artiles was drafted by the Red Sox last summer in the 22nd round. After adding a slider to his repetoire this spring, he finished the season (spending time in both Greenville and Lowell) with a 3.38 ERA. For Lowell, he had an ERA of 2.67 in nine starts and four relief appearances.

Padron-Artiles struck out the first 12 batters he faced, setting a new record for professional baseball (majors or minors*). Batavia did not put any of his first 61 pitches into play.

T4
Nic Ready (fbcb) struck out looking.
Albert Guaimaro (cf) struck out on a foul tip.
Julian Infante (ff) struck out looking.

T5
Milton Smith (cfb) struck out looking.
Michael Hernandez (sbcbfb) struck out swinging.
Nasim Nunez (cbf) struck out swinging.

T6
J.D. Orr (sbcbffb) struck out swinging.
Dalvy Rosario (ccbb) struck out swinging.
Troy Johnston (fcbfbb) struck out swinging.

T7
Ready (fbbbf) struck out looking.
Guaimaro (bcf) struck out swinging.
Infante (fbc) struck out swinging.

T8
Smith (b) singled on a ground ball to shortstop.
Hernandez (cftt) out on a sacrifice bunt, first to second, Smith to second.
Nunez (ffbb) flied out to left (in foul territory).
Mound visit.
Orr (bbccff) lined out to right.

T9
Rosario (bcbs) struck out swinging.
Johnsaton (b) popped out to shortstop.
Ready (fcffb) struck out swinging.

6 innings, 1 infield hit, 14 strikeouts, 90 pitches.

Tom Seaver set the major league record when he struck out the final 10 Padres in the Mets' 2-1 win on April 22, 1970. Padron-Artiles admitted after the game he had never heard of Seaver, who had been retired for more than a decade by the time he was born in November 1997.

*: On May 13, 1952, Ron Necciai, age 19, of the Bristol Twins, had 27 strikeouts in a nine-inning no-hitter against the Welch Miners (Class D Appalachian League), but he did not strike out more than 11 in a row.