Astros starter Gerrit Cole becomes first AL pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts since 1999

Houston Astros starter Gerrit Cole accomplished something during Wednesday night’s game vs the Texas Rangers that no other pitcher has done in decades.

When he struck out designated hitter Shin Soo-Choo in the eighth inning, he became the franchise’s first pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a single season since former righty Mike Scott fanned 306 batters back in 1986.

The last time an American League pitcher reached that feat was Pedro Martinez as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 1999.

“It’s really special. I can’t really put it into words.” said Cole after striking out 10 batters in eight innings to lead the Astros to a 3-2 win on the night.

“I don’t typically think about these things, but I did want to try to get it done tonight here in front of our fans. They’ve come out in large numbers all year and they’re so much fun to play in front of. It was just a blessing to be able to get it done tonight.”

The 28-year old, who is in his second season with the franchise, has posted an 18-5 record, 2.61 ERA and 0.91 WHIP to go along with 302 strikeouts over a span of 31 starts and 200.1 innings pitched on the year.