This hadn't happened in 112 years of Tigers pitching: Anibal Sanchez struck out 17 batters in Friday's night's 10-0 win over the Braves at Comercia Park.
Longtime team-watcher Tom Gage puts it in perspective in The Detroit News:
It means "move over, Max Scherzer and Paul Foytack," who previously co-held the Tigers' record for the most strikeouts in a game by a right-hander with 15.
And, sorry, but you also have to budge, Mickey Lolich — the left-hander who had 16 strikeouts twice in 1969.
Your record stood for nearly 44 years. But it's Sanchez's record now.
Gage tells how Scherzer watched and praised Sanchez's "beautiful rhythm."
"To watch him tonight was absolutely impressive," Scherzer said. . . .
"He was painting with all his pitches, but his slider was untouchable. One of the better pitching performances I've ever seen."
The hero earned a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 35,000. "Ernie Harwell used to say that every time you go a baseball game, you might see something you've never seen before," one fan, Matt Friedman of West Bloomfield, posted on social media.
Sanchez threw 121 pitches -- 84 for strikes, writes reporter Jason Beck of MLB.com.
Twenty-seven of those were swings and misses,. . .
"Everything was working for him tonight," catcher Brayan Pena said. "He was mixing it up. He was attacking the strike zone with his offspeed, and then he was expanding his strike zone. He was making those guys chase because his stuff tonight was unbelievable.Fourteen of Sanchez’s strikeouts were swinging — against the best team in baseball right now.
He gave up just five hits and walked one in eight complete innings. Rookie Bruce Rondon pitched in the ninth.
