Only after the fact did Kurt Suzuki realize his mistake.
It was May 18, 2016, and he thought he just harmlessly tossed a ball out of the play and into the Comerica Park stands. Suzuki’s Twins were playing the Tigers, and a rookie southpaw named Taylor Rogers had just struck out J.D. Martinez to end the sixth inning.
With it, Rogers had his first career strikeout. The 25-year-old couldn’t recover the souvenir, though.
“Kurt Suzuki threw that ball in the stands,” Rogers recalled Monday. “I don’t have that one.”
Seven seasons and three teams later, Rogers collected his 500th punchout, when he fanned Austin Riley looking on Sunday Night Baseball. When he did, the Oracle Park crowd — prompted by the center-field scoreboard announcing the milestone — gave him a standing ovation. Rogers stepped off the mound for moment and soaked it in.
“I think mostly I just appreciated that other people appreciated it,” Rogers said. “Pat Bailey knowing to throw the ball out, them putting it on the scoreboard. Just people taking that whole time to acknowledge it is probably the part that I’ll remember.”
Rogers joined the Giants this winter, signing a three-year, $33 million deal with SF. He has a 2.80 ERA in 51 games as a main cog in one of the most effective bullpens in MLB. Giants relievers rank 10th in ERA but first by a wide margin in wins because of the club’s unconventional, opener-heavy strategy.
When the Giants were in Anaheim earlier this month, Rogers’ twin, Tyler, informed him that he was 11 strikeouts away from 500. It’s bad juju for players to look over their stats, so the Rogers brothers keep track for each other (Taylor knows Tyler is approaching 200).
Of the 500 strikeouts Rogers has collected, none stick out as a favorite necessarily. But one outing pops in Rogers’ head — a 2019, 2.1-inning save in which he fanned five of the seven Rangers he faced.
The milestone of 500 strikeouts might seem arbitrary, but it’s a nice, whole number for relievers — especially one-inning arms like Rogers — to strive for. There are only 31 other active relievers in the 500 K club that Rogers just joined.
When Rogers struck out Riley for No. 500, he helped preserve the Giants’ three-run lead in what became an impressive victory over the mighty Braves.
This time, he got the ball.
- The Giants didn’t activate either Mike Yastrzemski or Mitch Haniger off the injured list, though each are nearing a return.
Manager Gabe Kapler said both outfielders are still in consideration to join the lineup this series against the Reds.
- Top prospect Kyle Harrison is making his home debut in the series opener. In his first start, Harrison fanned five in 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on a Bryce Harper home run.
The De La Salle (Calif.) graduate will pitch in front of a massive crowd of friends and family at Oracle Park.
- Both the Reds and Giants are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot, setting this series up as pivotal for each club.
Fangraphs gives the Reds a 20% chance at reaching the postseason, while the Giants have a 46.2% odds.
- Bench/infield coach Kai Correa, who welcomed his second child into the world over the weekend, is set to rejoin the team tomorrow, Kapler said. Nick Ortiz has been serving as the active bench coach, and Latin American Development Coordinator Hector Borg has been with the team helping out.
