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Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty matches AL record, opens with 7 straight strikeouts in loss to Cardinals

By Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports

St. Louis Cardinals v Detroit Tigers - Game One DETROIT, MI - APRIL 30: Jack Flaherty #9 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning of game one of a doubleheader at Comerica Park on April 30, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) (Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

By Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports

Jack Flaherty had a perfect start against his former team on Tuesday afternoon.

The Detroit Tigers pitcher matched an American League Record at Comerica Park when he recorded seven straight strikeouts to open their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

By the time Flaherty was pulled from the mound in the seventh inning, he had a career-high 14 strikeouts. That matched Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow for the most thrown in a single game in the league this season, and the most thrown by a Tigers starter in a game in nearly a decade.

Only four other American League pitchers have struck out seven batters in a row to open a game. Luis Castillo was the most recent pitcher to pull that off in 2022. Miami Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez holds the league record with nine.

"It was nice to come out and be in sync from pitch one," Flaherty said, via The Associated Press.

Despite Flaherty’s career day, the Cardinals rallied in the ninth behind RBIs from Alec Burleson and Pedro Pagés to pick up the 2-1 win.

Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers this past offseason after spending most of his career with the Cardinals — who selected him in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He made his debut with the club in 2017, and spent more than six seasons there before he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles there. He went 8-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 27 starts last season.

The 28-year-old has yet to pick up a win in his six starts with the Tigers, but he has 50 strikeouts and five walks over 36 innings on the mound.

"He was on, and it was nasty," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, via The Associated Press. "He had his stuff."

The loss dropped the Tigers to 16-13 on the season, and marked their third loss in their last five outings. The Tigers and Cardinals, who ran it back immediately on Tuesday for a doubleheader after Monday’s contest was postponed, will wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

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