Snell eclipses Bumgarner and Lincecum with Giants elimination feat originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Anytime a player finds himself in the same company as Giants legends Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum, it’s usually a good sign.
That’s where Blake Snell now sits after another dominant ride on Monday night against the Atlanta Braves.
With 11 strikeouts in his last start, Snell has now struck out 45 in his last four starts, adding to his eight K’s on August 7th11 in. his August 2 no-hitter and record 15 on July 27.
Only John Montefusco has fanned more batters in four games in Giants franchise history, by baseball reference; he accumulated 46 during his 1975 MLB All-Star season.
Lincecum and Bumgarner are the only other San Francisco pitchers to strike out more than 40 in the same span. Bumgarner had a particularly ridiculous stretch during the summer of 2015 when he did it twice in non-overlapping stretches. Of course, Lincecum’s dominant Cy Young seasons in 2008 and 2009 need no explanation.
His punching ability wasn’t the only way Snell made history on Monday night.
The Giants franchise has been around for a long time, but no one has limited opponents to a lower batting average through seven games than Snell.
Blake Snell has a .097 opponent BA in his last 7 games
is the lowest BA in a span of 7 starts by a Giants pitcher since the mound moved to the current dist in 1893 (minimum 100 batters faced)
it surpassed Ferdie Schupp’s 1916 (!!)
h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/ud3ZMii0s5
– Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 13, 2024
The name Ferdie Schupp isn’t as recognizable as Lincecum or Bumgarner, but Snell has nevertheless joined another exclusive club.
Snell’s .097 opponent batting average surpassed Schupp’s .108 in 1916; that same year, the New York Giants lefty posted a ridiculous 0.90 ERA in 140.1 innings, which remains an MLB record.
The Giants’ current lefty won’t surpass that mark, but it highlights the caliber of Snell’s recent stretch.
And if he can keep this up, he will continue to join the ranks of the greatest pitchers of all time.
