5-year Marliniversary: López sets MLB record with 9 straight strikeouts to open win over Braves

[Mike Ferguson]

An All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2023, Pablo López’s potential was evident during his time with the Miami Marlins. That was never more the case than on this day five years ago.

On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, López made history. The right-hander set a Major League Baseball record by striking out the first nine batters he faced in Miami’s 7-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.

López threw a minimum number of pitches to record his first two strikeouts at loanDepot Park on July 11, 2021. Ehire Adrianza and Freddie Freeman each went down swinging to open the game. Ozzie Albies worked a seven-pitch at-bat but ultimately struck out swinging to end the top of the first inning.

After López struck out the side in the first inning, the Marlins’ offense wasted little time giving him the lead as Jesús Aguilar took Ian Anderson deep for a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, López missed an immaculate inning by one pitch as Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia and Dansby Swanson each struck out swinging.

López needed just 12 pitches to get through the third inning. After striking out the first six batters swinging, Guillermo Heredia and Anderson each went down looking. In between, Kevan Smith fanned swinging for the second out. With the nine straight strikeouts to open the contest, López broke the previous record of eight held by Jim Deshaies (1986), Jacob deGrom (2014) and Germán Márquez (2018).

After catcher Sandy León extended the Miami lead to 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the third, Adrianza became the first Atlanta hitter to make contact against Lopez as he grounded out to open the fourth. The Braves broke up the shutout later in the inning with RBI singles from Albies and Arcia.

Miami, however, had an answer. In the bottom of the fourth, Aguilar followed Garrett Cooper’s RBI double with an RBI single of his own to push the lead back to four at 6-2.

López would work six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He did not strike out a batter after the third inning.

Swanson homered with two outs in the sixth inning before taking Anthony Bender deep in the ninth for a second solo blast to cap the scoring for Atlanta. Miguel Rojas capped the scoring for Miami with an RBI single in the sixth to score Jesús Sánchez.

Sánchez and Rojas each finished with three of the 12 Miami hits in the win. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Aguilar added two hits apiece. Aguilar finished with four RBIs.

The day, however, belonged to López. He became the first pitcher in baseball history to open a contest with nine straight strikeouts the first time through the order. They came on this day five years ago.

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