The first hit Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman allowed since July 23 walked off the Athletics Wednesday.
A flamethrowing Chapman reached triple digits with his fastball, just like the eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ has been doing since he made his MLB debut in 2010. But his 100 mph four-seamer arrived near the heart of the zone.
Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler slapped an opposite-field single to left-center that handed the Red Sox another walk-off loss, their MLB-leading 12th such defeat this season, according to ESPN.
The 5-4 Athletics win snapped a three-game Red Sox surge and prevented Boston from completing a series sweep in Sacramento. It also marked the end of Chapman’s historic stretch.
The 37-year-old lefty came into the day with the third-longest hitless streak of any MLB pitcher since 1901. It spanned a franchise-record 17 straight appearances.
From July 26 to Sept. 7, Chapman — an All-Star this season for the first time since 2021 — recorded 14 2/3 innings pitched, logging 21 strikeouts and issuing only four walks. Along the way, he didn’t give up an earned run.
While he conceded a hit during his July 23 appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies, he finished that outing with a strikeout, meaning that he actually had faced 50 consecutive batters without allowing a hit going into Wednesday’s series finale versus the Athletics.
The streak came to an abrupt end in the bottom of the ninth inning, when he surrendered a leadoff double to catcher Shea Langeliers. Although Chapman then induced a line out to right, it advanced Langeliers to third, where he scored from on Butler’s walk-off single to left.
The loss dropped the Red Sox to 81-66 on the year. They’re currently jockeying with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East crown as well as the top AL wild-card spot.
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