Despite taking the loss from the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday, Jeff Samardzija’s start was still something to be happy about. Not even Cody Bellinger’s record-breaking three-run blast could stop Samardzija from achieving two impressive pitching feats.
Thanks to his 4.1 innings of work, Samardzija became the first pitcher to exceed 200 innings pitched in each of the previous five seasons. The only other pitcher who could match Samardzija is Max Scherzer, who is currently sitting on 191.1 innings pitched this season.
As a member of the Chicago Cubs, Samardzija started towards this accomplishment with 213.2 innings. The following season, he put up the most innings of the last five seasons with 219.2 between the Cubs and Oakland Athletics. Even jumping between four different teams in both leagues, he maintained his workload amidst several changes in scenery.
“Just being in the AL was probably a big workload that year because pitch counts usually go a little higher because you’re being pinch hit for and things like that,” Samardzija said.
That’s not all.
With four strikeouts yesterday, Samardzija achieved the third 200-plus strikeout season of his career. During the first two years of his innings pitched streak, Samardzija struck out 214 batters in 2013 and 202 the following year.
Fast forward to last night. Samardzija broke 200 strikeouts by sitting down Curtis Granderson and then Andre Ethier for No. 201. He joins Madison Bumgarner, who did the same from 2014-2016, as the only Giants with three seasons 200-plus strikeout seasons in their careers.
“It just means that your offseason work was the right work and your in-season work was good work. I felt good out there and threw a lot of pitches, threw a lot of innings and got a few strikeouts. So, really it’s just a culmination of the whole year’s work.”
And what does he credit this incredible consistency? His consistency.
“Just a routine, I think I do about the same things between starts that I’ve always done. Obvious you tweak it depending on how you feel and how you felt in the last start, but mostly just being consistent.”