Allan Winans’ favorite letter is ‘K’.
At least, it was on Wednesday night, when the veteran starter mowed down 10 of the first 11 batters he faced in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ 5-0 win against the Charlotte Knights.
Winans struck out the side in the top of the first, throwing just 12. pitches to fan Travis Jankowski, Greg Jones, and Brandon Drury. In the second, he fanned Tim Elko on four pitches, Kyle Teel on three pitches, and Bryan Ramos with four tosses to retire the side.
After issuing a five-pitch walk to Colson Montgomery, Winans fanned Corey Julks and Zach DeLoach, and then. handed Jankowski his second return ticket to the dugout of the night for his ninth strikeout.
Leading off the fourth, he struck out Jones for the second time, getting him to whiff on an 82 mph changeup for his 10th ‘K’ of the night.
According to MLB.com, it’s believed that a Major League pitcher hasn’t struck out 10 of the first 11 batters he faced since 1961.
Winans threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out 10.
He has appeared in eight career MLB games, all with the Atlanta Braves.
Photo: Yankees pitcher Allan Winans delivers in the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
