NEWSLETTER
Jeff Samardzija’s performance was something to watch through 4.2 innings. He’d struck out 11, and was on pace to surpass Kerry Wood’s record 20 strikeout performance, which was all anyone could talk about at that point. It was, of course, incredibly unrealistic, given the absurd pace one needs to keep up. Samardzija lost his control with a couple of outs in the 5th, walking a couple guys, throwing two wild pitches, and allowing a run during those escapades. It would be understandable if the mounting strikeout total got into his head a bit.
Regardless, he once again showed how dominant he can be (even finishing off that half inning with another strikeout). He got into trouble again in the 6th (aided by a questionable HBP), and that was it for his day. His line looks ugly, but it’s pretty much the most deceiving line you’ll ever see, in relation to how nasty the guy actually looked. This was a good outing for Samardzija, and the non-strikeout stats should do nothing to convince you otherwise.
As for the overall story of the game, it has a familiar tone …
