IL1 Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Ironpigs' Les Walrond Establishes 2008 Strikeout Benchmark

Published on July 7, 2008 under International League (IL1)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs News Release


(Allentown, Pa.) -- LHP Les Walrond tossed a nine-inning shutout and struck out 17 batters -- the highest total in both Major and Minor League Baseball in 2008 - as the IronPigs blanked the Louisville Bats, 2-0, on Sunday at Coca-Cola Park. No pitcher has amassed a greater total since Frederick's David Hernandez struck out 18 Winston-Salem batters in a Carolina League (Advanced-A) game on 9/2/07. Walrond's last 10 outs were recorded via strikes as he struck out the side in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings.

The previous 2008 single-game high for any pitcher, Major or Minor Leagues, was 14 - which was accomplished by Mississippi's Thomas Hanson against Birmingham in a Southern League (Double-A) game on 6/25/08.

Sunday's masterful strikeout performance was five short of the International League record of 22 set by former Major Leaguer Bob Veale of the Pittsburgh Pirates on 8/10/62 for the Columbus Jets.

Although the International League doesn't have a listing of high-strikeout games, the performance by Walrond marked the highest strikeout total in the IL in the last four seasons. Previously, from 2005-present, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Cole Hamels held the high with 14 strikeouts on 4/27/06 vs. Norfolk. The only Triple-A pitcher to accomplish this feat in the last four seasons was Sacramento's Dallas Braden, who fanned 17 against Colorado Springs on 8/27/07.

The Major League record for strikeouts in a game is 20, accomplished just three times in a nine-inning game - twice by Boston's Roger Clemens (9/18/96; 4/29/86) and most recently by Chicago's Kerry Wood on 5/6/98 vs. Houston.

The last pitcher to strike out 17 batters in the Majors was Johan Santana, who fanned 17 Texas Rangers on 8/19/07.

Remarkably, there have been only 23 instances of a pitcher striking out more than 17 batters in an outing in Major League history, making the feat drastically rarer than a no-hitter - which has been accomplished 256 times at the Big League level.

The last pitcher to strike out more than 17 batters in a Major League game was Ben Sheets on 5/14/04 with an 18-strikeout performance against Atlanta.

Walrond's previous career high for strikeouts was 10, which he achieved on four different occasions -- most recently on 7/31/04 for Triple-A Omaha (Royals). He last tossed a complete game on 6/19/05 for Triple-A Albuquerque (Florida).

The performance also gave the 31-year-old the first nine-inning complete game and shutout in IronPigs history. It was also the second victory of the week for Walrond, who gave up three runs on six hits over six innings in 12-5 defeat of Rochester on July 1. For the week, the native of Tulsa, Okla., went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA (15.0 ip, 11 h, 3 r, 3 er, 4 bb, 21 k).

The IronPigs continue their four-game series against Louisville on Monday at 7:05 p.m. and Brett Myers is scheduled to make his second consecutive start for the IronPigs. Myers will start opposite Louisville's Homer Bailey, rated by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Cincinnati's organization.

Single-game tickets for Monday night's highly anticipated contest are on sale now and can be purchased at the Coca-Cola Park Ticket Office, online at www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS.

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International League Stories from July 7, 2008


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