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Blanche K’s 14, Closes in on Record as Brooklyn Downs Monterrey 6-2

For years, a mystery has surrounded Division 1: why, among teams at the highest level of competition in the Federation, are strikeout levels so low? The all-time single-season strikeout record, of course, belongs to Chicago’s Jarrod Scott, who dropped 333 batters in 2020, when the Whales were in D2. Nate Mefford’s D3 mark of 314 was set in 2029, and while Mefford is currently on pace to break the D4 record as well, it is currently held by Jon Sayre who K’d 278 last season with Phoenix. But in Division 1, the record is just 209. It was set by Jason Blanche in 2031. The second highest D1 total now also belongs to Blanche, at 206 - his current total, in July of this season. Blanche is likely one start away from blowing away his own single season strikeout record, and is on pace to do the same to Scott’s all-time mark: the Dodger ace is on pace for an astounding 378 strikeouts in 2038.

The lefthanded Blanche allowed a leadoff double to Nelson Abad in the first, but Abad reached for third and git snuffed out there by CF Jose Vega’s perfect throw. Blanche dropped the next two batters on strikes, and the Dodgers took over in the bottom half, following a leadoff Noah Cavaliere single with a triple by Gary Murray and a single by Prince - the Dodgers put two on the board without recording an out. A Dane Best fly out marred the streak, but Jose Vega and Erminio Rizzo singled to load the bases. With two outs, Nate McHenry doubled, plating two. The Dodgers missed their chance to bat around in the first as C Craig Gordon grounded out, but they’d scored the only runs they’d need all game.

Blanche cut through Monterrey, striking out Chase Maze and retiring Greg Allen and Jim Robins in the second. He ran into trouble in the third as Tyler Duncan hit the first pitch he saw for a one out double; that was followed by a walk and a ball that got over Vega’s head for an RBI double by Abad (his second two-bagger of the game). A sac fly by Burditt scored a second run, and that was it for Monterrey in the inning.

Brooklyn plated another run in the 6th, after a strange two out rally that included a hit by pitch, a single, a walk, and a wild pitch with Carson Prince at the plate, but Brooklyn didn’t need it, because Monterrey wouldn’t score again.

Blanche allowed just two more hits the rest of the way - a 6th inning single by Cavaliere and an 8th inning double by Jim Robins - and walked one, while two batters reached via error. But these were spread out, and Blanche did his best to remove any other possibilities as he struck out batter after batter. He struck out the side in the 5th, and K’d two in two other innings. He completed the game, notching 14 strikeouts for his ninth win. The victory dropped his ERA to 2.44, with a nearly identical 2.43 FIP and 2.40 SIERA. And with 206 strikeouts, Blanche is now poised to crack an 18 year old record and finally put D1 strikeout totals on the map - the Federation will watch as he takes a shot at the all-time mark.