Josh Hader continues to rewrite the record books,
PITTSBURGH - The 2018 season is winding down, but Josh Hader is still accomplishing some remarkable things.
Somewhat overshadowed in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 8-3, rain-delayed victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday night was the left-hander breaking two major-league records.
By fanning the side in the sixth inning – although Corey Dickerson did triple with two outs in the frame – Hader had run his streak of consecutive outs recorded by strikeout to 16, the most ever in the expansion era.
Strangely enough, a former Brewers lefty – Mitch Stetter – had set the mark of 15 in 2009.
Hader also reached 136 strikeouts for the season, the most ever by a left-handed reliever. Detroit’s John Hiller set the previous record of 134 in 1974 over 150 innings compared to just 77 innings for Hader.
“I think it’s definitely a great accomplishment, being able to pitch up here and be able to be so consistent,” Hader said. “That was one of the things coming into the season for me, was really trying to be consistent with my delivery and my pitches.
“My fastball-slider combination I feel like has really helped me out this year.”
It’s been a season to remember for Hader, who set another major-league record on April 30 in Cincinnati when he struck out eight Reds batters in recording a 22⁄3-inning save.
He entered Saturday with a 6-1 record, 1.99 earned run average and 11 saves, and his 136 strikeouts and WHIP of 0.74 are best in the major leagues for qualified relievers.
Hader is doing it by throwing his fastball 78.9 percent of the time and his slider 20.8 percent of the time. Opposing hitters have managed a collective .122 average against him, and left-handed hitters have fared even worse at .095.
“The superlatives, with the way he’s thrown the ball, he never ceases to amaze us,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s on a run right now where we’ve gotten him some rest, which is great.
“So, we’ll try to keep him there. We’re at a critical point in the season, and he’s a guy we’re going to rely on heavily should we take the next step. I think he’s in a pretty good place.”
Brewers starter and fellow lefty Gio Gonzalez has had a little less than a month to watch Hader up close but had a unique way to describe how dominant he’s been.
“To see what he’s doing, it may be cheesy or corny, but he’s like the cheat code of a baseball (video) game,” Gonzalez said. “He is the ‘create player’ when you want to make it to the next level.
“He deserves all the credit in the world. He’s unbelievable in the clubhouse, unbelievable on the mound.”
It’s the second consecutive year the Brewers have had a reliever turn in a dominant campaign based on strikeouts; Corey Knebel saved 39 games and tied Boston’s Craig Kimbrel for the major-league lead with 126 strikeouts in 2017, when he also went to the All-Star Game for the first time.
But Hader, converted from starting to relieving early last season, has been even more effective while pitching in a multitude of situations. Thirty-two of his 51 appearances have spanned more than one inning, and 22 have gone two or more.
“I really think being able to use my pitches full-effort and being able to just attack the zone and mix speeds with hitters is really what it comes down to, and keeping my mechanics as consistent as possible,” Hader said. “Because one thing can be off, and it can throw off a bunch of other things. Just trying to maintain that through the whole season, really.”
Since allowing a homer to Anthony Rizzo on Sept. 3 – the first ever hit by a left-handed hiter off Hader in the majors – Hader has struck out 20 of the 25 batters he’s faced while allowing only two hits.
“Lately, he’s just flat-out been dominant,” Counsell said. “He’s just been overpowering guys. His stuff ’s been really good. He’s throwing as hard as he has all year in his last 4-5 outings.”
A popular discussion among fans is whether the Brewers would be better served to keep Hader in his relief role moving forward or perhaps consider giving him another shot at starting.
Ever the team player, Hader says he’s on board with whatever Brewers management thinks is best. And at just 24 years old, can he possibly top what he’s accomplished this season moving forward?
“We shall see,” he said. “My goal is to be able to be on that mound and pitch, whether it’s multiple innings or not. I’m just trying to help the team win any way I can, and whatever position they think fits best for me, that’s kind of what I have to roll with.
“I’m always trying to be better than what I am now, and I’ll just keep continuing to work hard and see where it takes me.”