A Thread For Starting Pitchers That Are Doing Really Well

*start watching

No surprise, not even remotely close, even allowing for strikeout inflation:

Scherzer -- 18 IP, 1 hit, 26 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP
Vander Meer -- 18 IP, 0 hits, 11 K, 11 BB, 0 HBP

best consecutive starts of all time m/l

game scores 100, 97

He gets the phillies next time

Couldn't find anything especially notable before or after Koufax's no-hitters. Found this for Pedro in 1999:

17 IP, 1 run, 3 hits, 32 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP, GS of 90/98

It's got to be the best back-to-back ever.

(Scherzer, I mean.)

i'm told there have never before been back-to-back 97+ game scores

lots of hot takes already on tabata, of course. it's going to be pretty shitty if mccutchen gets drilled tomorrow because of that

Steib's consecutive one-hitters in '88:

18 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 12 K, 3 BB, 2 HBP, Game Scores 91/88

Last two starts of the season...anyway, not close to Scherzer past hits and runs.

One more--Jim Tobin in 1944 (according to Jayson Stark, the only other time someone pitched a no-hitter and one-hitter back-to-back):

18 IP, 0 runs, 1 hit, 6 K (none in the one-hitter), 3 BB, 0 HBP, Game Scores 84/91

Different game, but again, not close.

ah dang i've missed this, will watch tomorrow.

Scherzer -- 18 IP, 1 hit, 26 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP

lol that xfip.

kinda fascinating to compare the career arcs of scherzer and verlander.

strange that umpires will add extra strikes in the 9th for a no-hitter but not deny a HBP that's leaned into, EXPPLICITLY AGAONST THE RULES.

(it was famously called to preserve the Drysdale '68 scoreless streak)

I guess HBP's can't be challenged, or they would have challenged the call. I can't think of a reason why they shouldn't be challenged though, unless umps feel it falls into the same category as arguing balls and strikes.

There's a very long answer to this question that'll be in front of the paywall for at least the next few hours:

In his last two starts, Scherzer has game scores of 100 and 97. Has anyone ever had consecutive games above 95...or 90 for that matter?
Asked by: Chihuahua332

http://www.billjamesonline.com/hey_bill/#46480

It's not 1998, you don't have to wait for Bill James.

Here's another way to look at it: Scherzer had back-to-back Game Scores of 100 and 97. According to the Baseball-Reference Play Index, since 1914 only one starter had registered consecutive Game Scores of at least 95 or higher in the same season: R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets in 2012, when the knuckleballer threw back-to-back one-hitters, with two walks and 25 strikeouts (and an unearned run in one of the games). His Game Scores were 95 and 96. Nolan Ryan, author of seven no-hitters, came closest to matching Vander Meer when he pitched a no-hitter on July 15, 1973, a 17-strikeout game that scored 100. In his next start, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning (although he'd allowed an unearned run in the first). Ryan would pitch into the 11th inning that day, eventually losing the game and finishing with a Game Score of 87.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/59400/max-scherzer-now-the-best-pitcher-in-the-game

(you would probably use a one-year subscrip to the Play Index a lot more than i would, clem -- you can also get a discount with the coupon code "bp")

marco estrada is perfect through seven

wrong day for the jays to go silent at the plate

Donaldson!!!

u gotta box him out, rays fans!

god logan forsythe what an asshole

sadness

I always liked Estrada; great to see him do well

this game continues to be ridiculous, btw

Do the Rays have any real hits in this game? Everything is a bloop or a squibber between a bunch of fielders.

kiermeier's double in the ninth was a real hit (and a single for pretty much everyone else)

its still going? christ on a cracker

Kinda early, but given the context, Max Scherzer...

surprised that something so obvious would actually happen

starts very much in character

galvised

last to throw five perfect in three straight starts was doyle alexander in '76

Carrasco is into the 9th--one out, two on (HBP + something else, not a hit).

Geez...McCovey/Richardson, wrong result.

didn't tune in. still into wins and losses.

smh

btw: http://milkeespress.com/lostninth.html

Something that actually crossed my mind seconds before it happened: "Joey Butler just sounds like the name of someone who'd break up a no-hitter with two out in the 9th."

Anibal Sanchez through seven

At 90 pitches

Jon Lester, only through 5, BUT also had his first ever career hit

Cueto was filthy last night. It was one of his best games as a Red. Nats really didn't have much at all against him, he seemed to be ahead early on every count. Johnny has added this little extended pause to his wind up this year. It's a funky timing thing that has to seem weird to some batters.

Greinke within reach of a Maddux. 88 pitches. 1 hit. 9 SO. 0 BB.

with one inning left.

bleh they went with peralta for the last inning

Hamels

thru 8!

118 pitches, 2 outs to go

wow