THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL August 19: Johan Santana fans 17 batters, breaks Twins record
Taiwan News, Latino Baseball Illustration
He was one the best pitchers of the 2000s, and on this day in béisbol, Aug. 19, 2007, Johan Santana hurled one of the best games of a short but remarkable 12-year career derailed by injuries.
The Minnesota Twins ace set a team record by striking out 17 Texas Rangers in an old-school, 1-0 duel against Kevin Millwood. Santana only gave up two hits — both to Rangers DH Sammy Sosa — and walked none for his 13th win of the season.
The Venezuelan southpaw might have been a bit gassed, though — he was pulled after eight innings and 112 pitches, allowing Twins closer Joe Nathan to get the save.
Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner with the Twins, was traded to the Mets the following season, and on June 1, 2012 pitched an even better game than his 17-K gem — a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Also on this day: In 1998, Felipe Alou gets his 521st win as Montreal Expos manager in an 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, moving him past Buck Rodgers for the most in team history.
— Robert Dominguez
Robert Dominguez is the author of “Bronx Bummers: The Unofficial History of the New York Yankees’ Bad Boys, Blunders and Brawls” and writer of the upcoming “El Salón: The Trials and Triumphs of Baseball’s Latino Hall of Famers.”
Photo: Dinur — Under Creative Commons License
