Overview
- DeGrom struck out Daylen Lile and Abimelec Ortiz in the first inning of the Texas Rangers’ game in Arlington to record his 2,000th career strikeout on Thursday.
- Associated Press reporting says he got there in the second-fewest games and innings pitched in major-league history, with Elias Sports Bureau data showing only Chris Sale reached 2,000 in fewer innings.
- The milestone came in deGrom's 272nd career start after his 2014 debut and adds to a résumé that includes two Cy Young Awards and long stretches of elite strikeout rates.
- Fans gave deGrom a standing ovation after the strikeout that completed the milestone and he acknowledged the crowd by tapping his cap over his heart.
- He is the 95th player and ninth active pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts and the fourth pitcher to hit the mark this season, though a Bleacher Report item separately claimed he set a right-hander innings record with limited corroboration.