Dodgers set season-high in strikeouts in win over Pirates

The Dodgers set a season high for strikeouts by their pitchers, with Alex Wood and two relievers excelling in their 12-1 win over the Pirates.

Dodgers pitchers struck out 17 batters in the blowout win, falling just one shy of the franchise record for a nine-inning game, done five times, most recently on May 5, 2015 against Colorado.

Alex Wood got things started, with 11 strikeouts in his five scoreless innings.

Monday was the fifth time in Wood’s career he has reached double digits in strikeouts, second as a Dodger. The 11 strikeouts were two shy of Wood’s career high, set on May 21, 2016 against San Diego.

Those 11 strikeouts were the most by a Dodgers pitcher — dating back to at least 1913 — in a start of no more than five innings. The previous high in such games was 10 strikeouts, co-held by fellow one-opening-day-starters Sandy Koufax and Vicente Padilla.

Ross Stripling followed with five strikeouts in three innings of his own. He had those five strikeouts in his first two frames, giving the Dodgers 16 strikeouts through seven innings, putting them in good shape to set a franchise mark.

But they only got one more strikeout, when Adam Liberatore fanned Chris Stewart to end the game.

The Dodgers’ previous season high for strikeouts was 14, done twice, including in Wood’s last start, last Tuesday against San Francisco.

The club’s franchise mark for total strikeouts in a game of any length is 22, set on Aug. 8, 1972 against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Up next

Julio Urias takes the mound on Tuesday for the Dodgers, looking to match their season high of four straight victories. The Pirates will counter with the stingy Ivan Nova, who was named National League Pitcher of the Month for April and on the season has 27 strikeouts and one walk.