masslive
ANAHEIM, Calif.
With his strikeout of Angels third baseman Denzer Guzman to lead off the ninth inning Friday night, Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman made major league history.
The strikeout was the 1,364th of Chapmans career, setting a new major league record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher.
Entering his outing Friday, Chapman was tied with Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the all-time mark.
With the Red Sox leading 5-2 after some early offense and a stellar showing by rookie starter Jake Bennett, Chapman made quick work of Guzman in the ninth.
He needed just three pitches and secured the record on a 98.6 mph sinker at the top of the zone.
Chapman pumped his fist after the accomplishment.
Wilhelm, a Hall of Fame knuckleballer who pitched for nine teams in part of 21 seasons, has held the record since his retirement in 1972.
Chapman tied the record with a strikeout of the Yankees Max Schuemann on Sunday night, though he blew that save to continue a stretch of shaky performances.
Chapman, who is in his 17th big league season, broke Wilhelms record in 890 appearances.
Wilhelm reached the mark in 1,018 games (and also started 52 games 1958 and 1963).
Chapmans pursuit of a 54-year-old record comes at a time in which he has showed that hes human after a dominant first year and a half in a Red Sox uniform.
After allowing just one earned run (and 10 hits) in his first 20 23 innings (21 games) of the season, the 38-year-old had been tagged with six runs (five earned) in his last five outings entering Friday, blowing two saves and taking two losses in the process.
He has been hobbled by a hamstring injury but to this point, has avoided the IL.
The leftys ERA rose from 0.44 to 2.19 in 11 days.
Chapman faced a little more adversity Friday as two Angels (Jorge Soler and Vaughn Grissom) hit one-out singles off him to bring the tying run to the plate.
Chapman then got Jo Adell to ground into an inning-ending double play and finished off his 17th save of 2026.
Five of the top seven relievers on the all-time strikeout leaderboard pitched for the Red Sox.
Along with Chapman, Craig Kimbrel (fourth), Kenley Jansen (fifth), Lee Smith (sixth) and Billy Wagner (seventh) are among the all-time leaders.
- Red Sox reactions: Behind strong Jake Bennett start, record-breaking strikeout for Aroldis Chapman, a win to start trip - Red Sox must fill rotation spot left by Connelly Early (elbow), but no decision made yet - Red Sox Willson Contreras, awaiting appeal hearing, looking forward to playing with my guys - Red Sox lineup: Willson Contreras, his suspension on appeal, still at first base - State of the Sox: In (partial) defense of Craig Breslow.