Journeyman hurler Rich Hill's effort puts him alongside Nolan Ryan in history book
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Rich Hill and Nolan Ryan.
Maybe not names you necessarily associate with much beyond Major League pitchers ... until now.
Hill not only twirled one of the finest gems of his storied career on Sunday, he made history in the process.
The left-hander fanned 10 over five one-run frames in Triple-A Omaha's eventual 6-1 loss to Toledo at Werner Park. In doing so, Hill became the first 45-year-old to record double-digit K's in a professional contest since Ryan did it for Texas on Aug. 6, 1992, against the A's -- the 215th double-digit strikeout game of his Hall-of-Fame career.
Hill accomplished his feat at 45 years, 4 months and 2 days old. Ryan was 45 years, 6 months and 6 days at the time of his outing. No one that age has done that in the Minors at least since 2005, according to MLB.com records.
The start also marked the first time Hill recorded a double-digit strikeout game since Aug. 27, 2022, when he punched out 11 over seven scoreless frames for the Red Sox.
After recording a single strikeout in the first inning on Sunday, the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder locked in to whiff the side in the second. He fanned Justyn-Henry Malloy, Brewer Hicklen and Andrew Navigato twice. He wrapped up the outing by fanning Brewer Hicklen on a 89.9 mph fastball above the zone to make history.
Hill exited the game after 104 pitches -- 66 for strikes. The 112th overall pick in the 2002 Draft, Hill’s career spans 20 seasons and includes stops with 14 different Major League organizations.