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R.A. Dickey Defies Expectations: Leads NL in Strikeouts After 20-Win Season

ByThis Day in Baseball

In his last appearance of the season, Mets’ 20-game winner R.A. Dickey whiffs eight Miami batters to end the campaign with 230 strikeouts, the most in the National League. The 37 year-old knuckleballer did not foresee the possibility of this occurrence when he wrote the opening lines of Wherever I Wind Up, his autobiography released in March, sharing with his readers, “I will never be a Hall of Famer and will never lead the league in strikeouts,” unaware that he would accomplish the feat in the near future.

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David Price becomes the first 20-game winner in franchise history when he goes seven innings in the Rays’ 6-2 win over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. The 27 year-old southpaw, the youngest American League pitcher to win 20 since Johan Santana reached the milestone with Minnesota in 2004, will edge Tigers ace Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award.

ByThis Day in Baseball

David Price becomes the first 20-game winner in franchise history when he goes seven innings in the Rays’ 6-2 win over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. The 27 year-old southpaw, the youngest American League pitcher to win 20 since Johan Santana reached the milestone with Minnesota in 2004, will edge Tigers ace Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award.

Justin Verlander wins 20th in August for the first time since 1990

Justin Verlander wins 20th in August for the first time since 1990

ByThis Day in Baseball

Justin Verlander does not pitch one of his better starts, giving up four runs, including a pair of solo homers to Luke Hughes and Jason Repko, and leaves after giving up his second hit of the day to Drew Butera, who is hitting well below the Mendoza Line, with no out in the 6th, but his teammates pick him up and he gets credit for the Tigers’ 6 – 4 win over the Twins. This makes him the major leagues’ first 20-game winner this year, the first in the majors to reach the mark in August since Curt Schilling did it with Arizona in 2002, and the first 20-game winner for the Tigers since Bill Gullickson in 1990. Jose Valverde picks up the save with a perfect 9th inning. He has now converted 40 straight save opportunities over two seasons, tying Dennis Eckersley for the second-longest streak in American League history, but still 14 behind Tom Gordon’s record of 54.

CC Sabathia becomes the major leagues’ first 20-game winner and it is the first time he reaches the magic number.

ByThis Day in Baseball

CC Sabathia becomes the major leagues’ first 20-game winner this year in the Yankees’ 11 – 3 pasting of the Orioles. Sabathia has twice before finished a season with 19 wins, but it is the first time he reaches the magic number. However, the Yankees fail to put some distance between themselves and Tampa Bay, as the Rays rally in the 9th to tie the game, then score the winning run on a throwing error as they defeat the Angels, 4 – 3, to remain a half-game behind the Bronx Bombers.

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Greg Maddux blanks the Pirates, 6 – 0, to become the Cubs’ first 20-game winner in 15 years. He will tie Tom Glavine for the National League lead in wins.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Greg Maddux blanks the Pirates, 6 – 0, to become the Cubs’ first 20-game winner in 15 years. He will tie Tom Glavine for the National League lead in wins.

The Orioles assuring the Birds will finish below .500 for the first time in 18 seasons
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The Orioles assuring the Birds will finish below .500 for the first time in 18 seasons

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Orioles suffer the 82nd of their 89 defeats this season, a 9-3 loss to Milwaukee at County Stadium, assuring the Birds will finish below .500 for the first time in 18 seasons. The last time Baltimore lost more games than it won in a campaign was in 1967 when the sixth-place team compiled a 76-85 record under Hank Bauer.