The flamethrowing left-hander continued to mount his case for Cooperstown, making MLB history in the Red Sox' Friday night win in the city of angels.
The Boston Red Sox improved to 38-48 on the season after kicking off their nine-game road trip with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. Aroldis Chapman logged his 17th save of the season in the win, but more importantly, he made major league history in the process, further stating his case for Cooperstown.
Rookie lefty Jake Bennett gave the Red Sox a career-high 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking none, before giving way to Garrett Whitlock in the eighth.
With the Red Sox leading 5-2, Whitlock recorded the final out of the eighth, paving the way for Chapman to take the mound, needing just one strikeout to pass Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the most strikeouts by a reliever in major league history, with 1,364 punch outs.
The 38-year-old made quick work of the first batter he faced, Los Angeles third baseman Denzer Guzman, punching him out on three pitches and hitting his signature stare-down to celebrate the achievement.
“Very happy, very happy,” Chapman said after the win, describing a video montage with highlights from his career that was shown in the clubhouse. “I feel very proud of what I have accomplished; I just feel very satisfied right now,” he continued.
Chapman allowed a pair of singles after the record-setting strikeout to Los Angeles shortstop Zach Neto and second baseman Vaughn Grissom before getting right fielder Jo Adell to ground into a game-ending double play to lock down his 17th save.
Climbing the ranks
Along with his pursuit of Wilhelm, Chapman has continued to climb up the all-time saves leader list. On May 18, the 38-year-old flamethrower recorded the 378th save of his career, passing former Twins closer Joe Nathan for the 10th most saves in history.
Chapman figures to continue climbing the saves leaderboard in 2026, needing only eight saves to reach 391 and pass former Red Sox pitcher - and Hall of Famer - Dennis Eckersley for the ninth-most in history.
After a dominant start to the season, Chapman has looked human of late, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits over his last five innings. Overall, Chapman has remained one of the best closers in baseball in 2026, posting a 2.10 ERA over 25.2 innings.
The Red Sox will look to secure a series win over the Angels on Saturday night. Sonny Gray will get the start for Boston opposite Sam Aldegheri for Los Angeles. First pitch from Angel Stadium set for 9:38 p.m. ET.
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