Kluber Spins Gem, Striking Out 10 in 100th Career Win

When the Yankees signed Corey Kluber this offseason, bringing the right-hander in on a one-year deal, there was no way to know what to expect.

Kluber pitched in one inning last season, making just seven starts the year before that due to a myriad of injuries.

Even with those question marks, this is a former ace that's won two Cy Young Awards in his career. New York was hopeful that Kluber could recapture that form in pinstripes.

On Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, Kluber didn't just put together his best outing with the Yankees to this point. He had one of the best starts of his entire career.

Clinching a three-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers, Kluber spun a gem, striking out 10 batters while allowing just two base hits over eight shutout innings in a 2-0 win.

"That's about as good an eight-inning performances you can have right there," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game.

The masterpiece was Kluber's 100th win of his career, his second with the Yankees after dominating the Orioles earlier in his previous start. It was the first 10-strikeout performance for the right-hander since September of 2018.

Moments after the final out, Kluber admitted that he wasn't aware it was a milestone victory until someone told him in the clubhouse. As much as it's a "huge accomplishment," Kluber emphasized the fact that he hasn't gotten to win No. 100 alone.

"It's not just not just you, there's teammates involved in getting you to that point," he said. "Training staff, strength staff, all that kind of stuff, but it's definitely cool moment."

When Kluber initially came off the mound after retiring the side in the eighth, he was bombarded with high fives and congratulatory hugs in the dugout. A smile crept across his face. 

Kluber isn't known for showing emotion when he's at work—his nickname is the Klubot after all—but there were countless reasons to smile on Sunday.

One was the right-hander's changeup. Kluber threw 25 of them out of his 103 total pitches. Detroit's lineup swung at the pitch 19 times, whiffing on 13.

"That's as good a changeup as he's flashed and he had it all game," Boone said, calling the pitch special. "It's something that really played well for him. I thought the depth on it was excellent."

Kluber's catcher Kyle Higashioka added that the effectiveness of the changeup opened the door for more possibilities in different sequences, keeping opposing hitters off balance with his heater and breaking ball. Higashioka knew early on that the right-hander was bound for a memorable performance on the mound.

"I think the first time through the order, just the way the guys were reacting to his pitches, I thought that he was definitely locked in today and if he could keep that up and keep throwing strikes and being aggressive with these guys, I knew that we were going to have a good day," Higashioka said.

It was an RBI double from Higashioka that opened the scoring for New York in the second. Brett Gardner followed with a sacrifice fly to the wall in right later in the inning. 

Detroit's right-hander José Ureña retired the final 17 batters he faced over his seven strong innings, but those two early runs—along with Kluber's spectacular outing—proved to be the difference. Closer Aroldis Chapman pitched a spotless ninth inning to earn his sixth save of the season.

The start of the regular season wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Kluber, who struggled with command and was unable to pitch deep into games. His outing on Sunday was the longest start by a Yankee in 2021, longer than any performance from ace Gerrit Cole.

Asked how satisfied he was with the way he pitched, Kluber said he was pleased with his ability to continue to build up his stamina. He recalled feeling fatigue in the sixth and seventh innings last time out. On Sunday, he said he had more in the tank at that point in the game.

Above all else and personal milestones aside, however, Kluber was happiest about the fact that his team was victorious, New York's eighth win in the club's last 11 games.

"The team got to win," he said. "That's obviously the number one goal each time out. Even if you don't pitch up to your standards, and the team's able to come out with a win, you gotta look at that as a positive."

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• Gerrit Cole Makes More History With 12-Strikeout Masterpiece

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