Eduardo Rodriguez in an exclusive club after touching the perfect match

BALTIMORE – Venezuelan Eduardo Rodriguez pitched for six seasons with the Red Sox in the Middle East and has always been a tremendous success controlling the Orioles hitter.

Now in his second season with the Tigers, the left-hander made what he believes is the best start of his career on Sunday, maintaining his dominance over the team he signed the teen with in 2010.

in 2-1 loss in 10 innings On a Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards, Rodriguez didn’t let anyone get to him until the seventh inning, retiring the first 20 batters he faced.

Rodriguez scored six goals and threw 95 pitches (65 strikeouts). It was his second consecutive dominant start. He threw eight scoreless innings against Cleveland on April 18, striking out 10 without walking. He was the third Detroit pitcher to do so, joining Max Scherzer (2012) and “Wild Bill” Donovan (1908).

Detroit manager A.J. c. Hinch: “It was amazing.” “He had quick, effective tackles at the start. He was hitting the strike area. All his pitches were working. He was literally near perfect until the end. We just didn’t get enough of him.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodriguez became the first Tigers pitcher to retire the first 20 or more batters in a game since Jordan Zimmerman against the Blue Jays on March 28, 2019. Rodriguez said that game was the best he had ever seen. in his life.

“One time I didn’t allow a hit or run to the eighth in Oakland, but it was a no-hitter,” the lefty recalled. “This was a perfect game. I would say it was the best start I have ever had in my life.”

Baltimore rallied to win the game after Rodriguez’s departure, sweeping the series. The Tigers have lost four in a row.

Also according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodriguez was the first Tigers pitcher to throw more than seven scoreless innings without a walk and more than six strikeouts in two straight games. Jacob deGrom was the last to do so in the MLB, on September 14-20, 2019. Clayton Kershaw is the only pitcher to hit three consecutive home runs, between July 8-23, 2015.

According to Baseball-Reference, apart from Rodriguez, the only Latin American pitchers with two consecutive starts that meet this criteria are Colombian Julio Teheran (June 19 and 25, 2016), the late Cuban Jose Fernandez (May 31 to June 2016), Dominican Juan Marichal (June 5 and 10, 1965) and Cuban Camilo Pascual (May 15 and 20, 1961).

Despite a no-decision Sunday, the 30-year-old veteran is 10-0 with a 1.56 ERA in his last 12 games against the Orioles dating back to 2018, allowing just 13 earned points in 75 innings pitched.

For life, Rodriguez has a 2.79 ERA in 24 appearances (22 starts) against Baltimore, with 135 strikeouts in 132.1 innings pitched. He was traded from Baltimore to Boston on July 31, 2014 in exchange for left fielder Andrew Miller.