The New York Mets tied a major league record with 26 strikeouts in Friday night’s 2-1 home loss to the Atlanta Braves in 14 innings.
Seven members of New York’s bullpen combined to match the effort of ace Jacob deGrom, who spotted the Mets 13 strikeouts before exiting after seven innings with the score tied 1-1.
The Mets are the fifth team to record 26 strikeouts in a game, and they’re the second of those five to lose the game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Braves join the 2004 Brewers as the only teams to win a game after striking out 26 times. Milwaukee won 1-0 in 17 innings against the Angels on June 8, 2004.
Mets reliever Jeurys Familia struck out Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the top of the 14th to tie the record. It was Familia’s third strikeout of the inning but didn’t come until after he allowed the go-ahead run to score on a Billy Hamilton single.
Between deGrom’s and Familia’s appearances, six Mets relievers combined for 10 strikeouts, including four by Seth Lugo, who replaced deGrom and pitched two shutout innings.
DeGrom homered and struck out eight straight batters during one dominant stretch. He finished a punchout shy of his career high — the righty whiffed 14 and also homered to beat Miami on April 3. DeGrom became the first pitcher since at least 1900 to strike out 13 and homer in a game twice in the same season, per Elias Sports Bureau research.
“Every time out, my God, that guy has got something really special in his back pocket,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner got a no-decision anyway, the 18th time in his career he has pitched one-run ball or better over seven innings and not gotten a victory. New York is just 7-5 this year when deGrom allows one or fewer earned runs.
The Mets’ previous high for strikeouts as a staff was 24, achieved June 2, 2018, against the Cubs during a 14-inning game; deGrom also struck out 13 in that one.
DeGrom’s eight straight strikeouts marked the best such streak in the majors this year and tied his career high. He went over 200 strikeouts in a season for the fourth time.
“That little run, I just felt like I was able to locate whatever pitch I was throwing at the time,” he said.
DeGrom’s homer was the sixth by a Mets pitcher this season, the most in baseball.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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