Jeremiah Estrada gets record 13 consecutive takedowns

SAN DIEGO — In November, Jeremiah Estrada was placed on waivers. Now he eliminates everyone he faces.

In the Padres’ 4-0 win Tuesday night at Petco Park, Estrada struck out all three Marlins he faced in the ninth inning. These were his 11th, 12th and 13th consecutive outings (in three outings), setting a record that spans at least the entire expansion period.

“It’s a little hard to believe,” Estrada said. “I’m still sinking in. I just feel like I’ve done my job.”

Using a devastating low-90s fastball, paired with a tight slider and a split-fingered changeup he calls a “chitter,” Estrada struck out five straight Reds to end his outing Thursday. Then he struck out five more Yankees on Sunday.

With his second out Tuesday, he passed the Phillies’ José Alvarado for the most consecutive outs by a pitcher since at least 1961. (Play-by-play data is not fully available before this date, so it is impossible to know all the strikeouts (record time.) Estrada ended the evening by tacking on a 13th straight, for good measure.

“He’s an elite fastball,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Tonight, he was throwing splitters that were dirty. Mastery of secondary pitches, coupled with a special fastball in the zone, is what gets you 13 consecutive punchouts.

Estrada was at his own birthday dinner in early November when he received a call from his agent informing him that he had been placed on outright waivers by the Cubs. His 2023 season, unequivocally, was difficult. Between Triple-A and the Majors, Estrada walked 38 unsightly batters in 39 1/3 innings. A few days later, he was claimed by the Padres.

“We knew things were there,” pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “It was just a matter of consistency with him in the zone.”

NOW? It feels like Estrada lives in the strike zone, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7-1 this season. All it took was a mechanical overhaul and a complete reinvention of his two offspeed pitches. Nevermind.

With Tuesday’s outing, Estrada lowered his ERA to 0.55. He struck out 18 of the last 21 batters he faced. All this for a 25-year-old right-hander from Palm Desert, Calif., with 16 1/3 innings of big league experience before this season.

“He was able to do that without relying on Major League success and knowing what that looks like,” Niebla said. “For me, that’s the most impressive thing. His emergence as a big league reliever is happening before our eyes.

As early as January – at pitching camp hosted by Joe Musgrove – the Padres staff thought they had something special in Estrada. Niebla and Co. relayed this message to him, assuring him that high-leverage shafts were available. (When the Padres sent Steven Wilson to the White Sox in the Dylan Cease trade, they were comfortable doing so, in part because they believed in Estrada.)

Sure enough, Estrada took on the primary role setting up closer Robert Suarez. With Suarez unavailable Tuesday, Shildt turned to Estrada for the ninth. He eliminated Jesús Sánchez, Jake Burger (for the record) and Nick Gordon.

“I’ve obviously only watched it on video — live might be even better,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “It’s the real thing. This Vulcan change – or whatever he wants to call it – is as good as I’ve seen. Add in a 99 mph induced fastball with a very good (slider), he has three true pitches. He’s probably getting close to a lot of teams. He’s really good.

So good that it left Marlins hitters asking the question most of the baseball world asked upon learning of Estrada this month.

“Did this guy get a DFA?” asked Marlins first baseman Josh Bell. “How did the Padres get him?” »

Told of Estrada’s waiver request in November, Bell said, “It’s crazy. He had a hell of an offseason, I guess.

Assailed by reporters after the final withdrawal, Estrada did his best to remain calm. He spent most of his career on the sidelines, just trying to break through. He is now setting records as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. At one point, Estrada stumbled over his words, trying to explain his journey.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m just nervous.”

“I knew what it felt like to be in the dark, knowing that it was a difficult thing to overcome. But that’s where we find things, there we find a light. »