In an average start, a pitcher strikes out three more batters than he walks (5 to 2). On Thursday, Yu Darvish became the third pitcher in history to strike out 14 batters without walking any – THREE TIMES IN A SEASON. Only Anibal Sanchez has a single game with more strikeouts to walks (see table of top 20).
Darvish nearly threw a perfect game against the Astros April 2, and this was the second time he had struck out 14 Diamondbacks in one game this year. Only Roger Clemens (1997) and Randy Johnson (2001) had struck out 14 with no walks three times in a season.
The Rangers gave Darvish all the support he needed with three home runs in three innings. A.J. Pierzynski homered in the second inning, Mitch Moreland in the third, and David Murphy in the fourth. Darvish threw seven shutout innings before leaving with a comfortable lead.
The Rangers won 7-1 to pull to within half a game of the Cleveland Indians for the final playoff spot. Baltimore is also tied with the Rangers, while Tampa Bay has the first wild card spot by a four game margin. Here are the best 20 performances this season based on strikeouts minus walks, with strikeouts as the tie-breaker.
| Rnk | Name | Team | DATE | Opp | Result | BB | SO | SO-BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anibal Sanchez | Detroit Tigers | 26-Apr | vs ATL | Win | 1 | 17 | 16 |
| 2 | Yu Darvish | Texas Rangers | 2-Apr | @ HOU | Win | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| 3 | Yu Darvish | Texas Rangers | 27-May | @ ARI | Defeat | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| 4 | Yu Darvish | Arizona Diamondbacks | 1-Aug | vs. AZ | Win | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| 5 | Chris Sale | Chicago White Sox | 14-Jun | @ HOU | Loss | 1 | 14 | 13 |
| 6 | Jose Fernandez | Miami Marlins | 28-Jul | vs PIT | Win | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| 7 | Shelby Miller | St. Louis Cardinals | 10-May | vs COL | Win | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| 8 | Yu Darvish | Texas Rangers | 5-May | vs BOS | Victory | 2 | 14 | 12 |
| 9 | Adam Wainwright | St. Louis Cardinals | 13-Apr | vs MIL | Win | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 10 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | 28-Apr | vs MIL | Win | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 11 | Dillon Gee | New York Mets | 30-May | @ NYY | Win | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 12 | Eric Stults | San Diego Padres | 29-May | vs SEA | Victory | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 13 | Felix Hernandez | Seattle Mariners | 17-Apr | vs DET | Defeat | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 14 | John Lackey | Boston Red Sox | 26-Jun | vs COL | Win | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 15 | Matt Harvey | New York Mets | 7-May | vs CHW | Victory | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 16 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | 24-Jul | vs PIT | Loss | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 17 | Alex Cobb | Tampa Bay | 10-May | vs SD | Blown | 2 | 13 | 11 |
| 18 | Chris Sale | Chicago White Sox | 25-Jun | vs NYM | Victory | 2 | 13 | 11 |
| 19 | Justin Verlander | Detroit Tigers | 27-May | vs PIT | Win | 2 | 13 | 11 |
| 20 | Mat Latos | Cincinnati Reds | 23-Jun | @ ARI | Win | 2 | 13 | 11 |
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