Despite a less-than-desired result against the Cubs on Wednesday night, Lucas Giolito still managed to rack up 9 Ks against the crosstown Cubs, giving him 104 strikeouts on the season. Assuming Giolito's results hold over the remainder of the season, this would put him on pace to cross the 200 K threshold before the 2019 campaign has concluded. The last time a Sox pitcher accomplished that? You probably already know the answer: 2016.
In fact, Giolito would be just the ninth different pitcher to record a 200+ K season in franchise history, and it's only happened (thus far) 18 times for the Sox since 1901. Now, 18 entries does not a good Sporcle make, so I lowered the bar just a little bit. Which pitchers have totaled at least 170 strikeouts in a single season for the Sox? That has happened 45 times: how many can you get? Good luck!
Quiz Parameters
- I've allotted 10 minutes for completion attempts.
- For hints, I've provided the number of strikeouts in a season, and the year it occurred.
Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:
- The fewest number of strikeouts in a season for a Sox starting pitcher was 35 over 183 IP, set by Sloppy Thurston in 1925.
- Thurston also owns the lowest K% of Sox starting pitchers, set the season before, 1924. That would be 3%, just 37 Ks over 291 IP. (He went 20-14 that season, with a 3.80 ERA)
- Amazingly, Ernie Wingard of the St. Louis Browns beat Thurston out (same season) with an even lower total: 2.4%, or 23 K over 218 IP.
All data from baseballreference.com
