Blazing 4 strikeouts in a single inning! The 37-year-old Red Sox "fireballer" Chapman has now gone 17 consecutive games without allowing a run.

The 37-year-old Boston Red Sox closer, Cuban "fireballer" Aroldis Chapman, delivered a rare 4 strikeouts in one inning today against the Arizona Diamondbacks, helping his team secure a 7-4 victory and lowering his personal ERA to 0.98.

Chapman came in during the bottom of the 9th inning, first striking out Blaze Alexander, then striking out pinch hitter Ildemaro Vargas. However, due to a passed ball by the catcher, Vargas reached first base. Chapman then struck out two more batters in a row to close out the game perfectly, marking his second 4-strikeout inning this season and earning his 29th save of the year.

Currently, Chapman has pitched 14.2 scoreless innings over 17 consecutive appearances, recording 21 strikeouts and only 4 walks, putting him on track to challenge Randy Choate’s 2011 record of 20 straight hitless games.

Recently, Chapman signed a $13.3 million extension with the Red Sox, which includes a team option for 2027. This season, he has appeared in 60 games, pitching 55 innings and striking out 81 batters. His walk rate has improved significantly from a career average of 4.7 walks per 9 innings to 2.3 this season, demonstrating better control. Besides his signature fastball, Chapman now also features precise sliders and split-finger pitches. He stated, “I’ve always had confidence in these pitches, but now I can control and command them much better.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed amazement at Chapman’s performance at age 37, calling it unbelievable. He compared Chapman’s current form to that of former teammate Eric Gagne, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2003. Cora said, “Chapman is now very close to Gagne’s level.”