When the Boston Red Sox signed Aroldis Chapman this offseason, they expected him just to be a replacement for their former closer, Kenley Jansen. They had no idea they were getting a demon of baseball instead.
Chapman has now added on to his already legendary season, breaking two records in his latest save for the Sox against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight. He broke his own record of strikeouts in an inning with four, and an MLB record of getting out 50 consecutive batters.
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Chapman has now dropped his ERA to 0.98, and since May 30th, Chapman has pitched 30 innings, faced 112 batters, and given up only six hits, six walks, one earned run, and got 52 strikeouts. He also hasn’t allowed a run in a month and a half, since July 23rd.
The Sox signed Chapman to an extension this season, so they will hopefully get this level of production next year as well, and maybe even another if both parties pick up the mutual option in his contract.
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Chapman has been worth every single penny the Sox paid him, and now they get him for another season, and him now to close out games and basically guarantee them a win. Hopefully the Sox put themselves in winning positions more down this final stretch, so Chapman can come in and seal the deal.