Boston Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman became MLB’s first reliever to reach 1,400 career strikeouts, finishing at 1,402 after fanning three batters in the ninth Wednesday. He earned his 35th save as Boston beat the Cleveland Guardians 1-0.
Chapman had already become the all-time strikeout leader among MLB relievers this season, passing Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm’s 1,363 on July 3. This season, Chapman has 71 strikeouts in 53 appearances, with a 1.92 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
Boston entered the final days of the regular season at 85-73, holding the American League’s second Wild Card spot, four games ahead of the Chicago White Sox (81-77). The Red Sox had four games left: a game against Cleveland Thursday, followed by three against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.
