Trevor Bauer relaxes in the dugout during a 14-strikeout performance against the Bravos de Leon on April 21 in Mexico City. (Photo Courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico)
Working off five days’ rest, Diablos Rojos del Mexico starter Trevor Bauer threw what would be considered a fine performance in any league Sunday night, striking out 14 and tying a Liga Mexicana de Beisbol record by fanning nine consecutive batters in a 4-0 win against the Bravos de Leon.
Bauer threw six shutout innings, allowing no hits and one walk in his second start for the Diablos Rojos, who improved to 8-1.
The UCLA product fanned Leon’s Aneury Tavarez and Jimmy Kerrigan in the first. Then, in the second, he struck out the heart of the Leon order, Nos. 3, 4, and 5 hitters Alejandro Mejia, Micker Adolfo, and Marco Chicuate.
In the third, Italo Motta gave Bauer the only blemish of his appearance, battling back from a 2-2 count, fouling off strike three and drawing a seven-pitch walk. After the walk to Motta, Bauer notched punchouts against Luis Garcia and Tito Polo, the first two of nine consecutive strikeouts he’d record.
Bauer again struck out the side in the top of the fourth with an immaculate inning, sending Tavarez, Kerrigan, and Mejia back to the dugout with three pitches apiece.
In the top of the fifth, he sent three more Bravos back to grab some pine, striking Micker Adolfo, Chicuate, and Eddy Diaz in order.
In the sixth, he fanned Motta for his 14th strikeout of the game and ninth in a row, on four pitches after incurring a pitch clock violation that resulted in an automatic ball to start the at-bat.
With nine consecutive K’s, Bauer tied an LMB record for consecutive strikeouts set by José Ramón López of Monterrey in 1964 and repeated by Gary Williams of Tampico in 1979.
The next batter, Luis Garcia, popped out to catcher Xavier Fernandez, and Tito Polo grounded out to short to end the top of the sixth and cap Bauer’s night.
Bauer threw 87 pitches, 60 for strikes, to earn the win and lower his ERA in the LMB to 2.79.
In his first start for the Diablos, Bauer, the oft-maligned 2020 National League Cy Young winner, threw 3.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He had missed some time towards the end of spring training due to illness and was still recovering when he took the mound for the Diablos’ home opener, an 8-5 win against the Tigres de Quintana Roo.
Bauer has a five-game deal with the Diablos Rojos, who hit the road this week for three-game sets against the Piratas de Campeche and Olmecas de Tabasco.