Locke’s first shutout a quirky one
It took 101 career starts before Jeff Locke threw his first shutout and it turned out to be a quirky one.
The Pirates left-hander checked the Marlins on three hits Monday night in a 10-0 rout at Miami. It was also the 28-year-old’s first complete game.
Locke only struck out one batter. However, he struck out in each of his four plate appearances.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last major league pitcher to strike out at least four times as a batter while racking up one strikeout or fewer on the mound in a complete-game shutout was the Baltimore Orioles’ Milt Pappas on Aug. 10, 1961 against the Kansas City Athletics.
Like Locke, Pappas also struck out one while striking out four times.
It was the 91st time since 1913 that a Pirates pitcher threw a shutout with one strikeout or less. The last time it happened was July 18, 2010 when Paul Maholm pitched a three-hitter against the Houston Astros at PNC Park with only one strikeout.
Rip Sewell threw eight such games from 1940-49 with his high-arcing “eephus” pitch, including three with no strikeouts.
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Andrew McCutchen became the first player in Pirates’ history to have 1,200 hits, 150 home runs and 150 stolen bases in his career when he singled off the Texas Rangers’ Yu Darvish on May 28 at Arlington.
It seems surprising the five-time All-Star center fielder would be the only player in the franchise’s 134-year history to hold that distinction considering the long list of Hall of Fame hitters who have worn the Pirates’ uniform.
When the thresholds are lowered to 1,000 hits, 100 homers and 100 steals, McCutchen is one of 10 players in that club along with Roberto Clemente, Richie Hebner, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Al Oliver, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Andy Van Slyke and Paul Waner.
While all-time home run leader Barry Bonds went deep 176 during his seven season with the Pirates from 1986-92 and stole 251 bases, he came up 16 hits short of 1,000 with 984.
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The Pirates had a plus-15 run differential in May, scoring 130 and allowing 115 while going 14-13.
The run differential tied for fifth in the National League and eighth in the major leagues. The Boston Red Sox led the majors with plus-59 and the Chicago Cubs topped the NL with plus-49.