Just call him Mr. 2,000.
Chris Sale’s third-inning strikeout of Cleveland Indians center fielder Oscar Mercado was more than just his fifth of the night, it marked the 2,000th of his career. But the K also etched the Boston Red Sox ace into Major League Baseball history.
Sale became the fastest pitcher to reach the 2,000 strikeout mark, needing just 1,626 innings to do so. Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez held the previous MLB record, striking out 2,000 batters in 1,711 1/3 innings.
Take a look at No. 2,000:
The left-hander was on the edge of history a few times in the third, but finally got that elusive 2,000th strikeout to end the inning.
Welcome to history, Chris.
