Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty had a historic outing against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, on Tuesday.
The veteran right-hander struck out the first seven Cardinals batters he faced, tying the American League record for most consecutive strikeouts for one pitcher to start a game.
In his first start against his former team, Jack Flaherty has struck out SIX in a row to start the game! pic.twitter.com/oRxbDcBYm6
— MLB (@MLB) April 30, 2024
His slider was effective out of the gate, getting both left fielder Brendan Donovan and catcher Willson Contreras to strike out swinging on pitches out of the zone during the Cardinals' first two at-bats.
Flaherty blew past right fielder Lars Nootbaar with a 97-mile-per-hour four-seamer toward the inside of the plate for his third strikeout.
For his seventh K, he fooled second baseman Nolan Gorman with an 80-mile-per-hour knuckle curve.
With 7 consecutive strikeouts to start the game against the Cardinals, Jack Flaherty has matched the American League record. pic.twitter.com/Q3A41oYYrC
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 30, 2024
Flaherty clearly had extra juice for his former team. Per Baseball Savant, his average velocity on all five of his pitches — fastball, slider, knuckle curve, sinker and changeup — was higher than his season average.
Jack Flaherty finishes with 14 Ks
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) April 30, 2024
He was +1900 to be the strikeout leader for today’s MLB slate @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/DP84UyHKQn
Flaherty spent his first six full seasons in St. Louis and was traded to the Orioles at last year's trade deadline. He signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tigers in December.
He finished Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader with a career-high 14 strikeouts in only 6.2 innings pitched. Despite his excellent effort, the Cardinals got the last laugh, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning and winning 2-1.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!