On April 29th in sports history, one significant event took place in 1986 when Roger Clemens, the legendary baseball pitcher, set a major league record by striking out 20 batters in a single nine-inning game. The remarkable performance occurred during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
Clemens, known as "The Rocket" for his powerful fastball, was in his third season with the Red Sox and was quickly establishing himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. On that memorable night, he was virtually unhittable, mowing down the Mariners lineup with a combination of fastballs, sliders, and splitters.
The 23-year-old right-hander struck out the first nine batters he faced, tying an American League record for most consecutive strikeouts to start a game. He then proceeded to strike out at least one batter in every inning, including striking out the side in the fourth, sixth, and ninth innings.
Clemens' final strikeout victim was Phil Bradley, who went down swinging to end the game and secure Clemens' place in the record books. The Red Sox won the game 3-1, with Clemens allowing just three hits and walking none over the course of his complete game masterpiece.
The 20-strikeout performance broke the previous record of 19, which had been shared by Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton. Clemens would go on to match his own record a decade later, striking out 20 Detroit Tigers in a game on September 18, 1996. The record has since been tied by Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson, and Max Scherzer, but no pitcher has surpassed it.
Clemens' historic game on April 29, 1986, was just one of many highlights in a remarkable career that spanned 24 seasons and included seven Cy Young Awards, two World Series championships, and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
