Wednesday was really special as the Mariners' ace, Felix Hernandez, became the third youngest pitcher since 1952 to record 1,000 career strikeouts. It's been a blast to watch him all year. Though just 10-10, his ERA (earned run average) is something like
2.40, and he continues to be among the most feared hurlers in the game, as he blew past both the Yankees and the Red Sox (Wednesday) in two of his best and nastiest starts. What a pitcher.
Mariners third baseman Jose Lopez was asked afterward if he realized during the game that Hernandez had achieved that remarkable feat of quickly getting to 1,000 strikeouts. "Oh yeah," said Lopez. "I count them."