On September 10, 1980 — Montreal Expos Rookie Bill Gullickson whiffs 18 batters, the most strikeouts ever recorded by a rookie in a major league game. The Expos right-hander throws a complete-game four-hitter, beating Chicago Cubs at Olympic Stadium, 4-2.
“I’m actually more excited about getting the win than I am the strikeouts. It was an important victory for us,” said the rookie right-hander, who came within one of the major league strikeout mark for nine innings last night when he fanned 18 Chicago Cubs to pace the Montreal Expos to a 4-2 victory.
“I had good control of the fastball, both inside and out, and I was staying ahead of the hitters,” said Gullickson, who has struck out 68 batters in his last 65 innings.
Expos’ catcher Gary Carter said the performance put Gullickson ‘‘up there with the Koufaxes and the Drysdales and any other strikeout pitcher … He’s just a rookie. Look how many years he has ahead of him.” The Previous Expo record for Rookies was 14 held by Bill Stoneman who did it twice in 1971.
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