Best Pitcher Performance, No. 4: Hutchison Hands Hens 10 Strikeouts in 8-2 Rout

Right-hander earns seventh career 10-plus strikeout game

Drew Hutchison walks off the mound after a strikeout against Toledo on June 19 at the Vic. (Photo by Adam Pintar)

By Cheyne Reiter

October 19, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS - Drew Hutchison brought consistency and length to the Tribe rotation over the course of the 2017 season, resulting in him being the first Tribe pitcher to lead the International League in innings pitched with 159 1/3 innings thrown. Including his one postseason outing, he threw five-plus frames in 25

INDIANAPOLIS - Drew Hutchison brought consistency and length to the Tribe rotation over the course of the 2017 season, resulting in him being the first Tribe pitcher to lead the International League in innings pitched with 159 1/3 innings thrown. Including his one postseason outing, he threw five-plus frames in 25 of his 27 starts.

The 27-year-old tossed a season-high seven innings on five occasions, highlighted by a June 19 start against Toledo in which he piled up 10 strikeouts in an 8-2 victory. The double-digit strikeout performance was the seventh of his career, first with Indianapolis, and nearly fell on the anniversary of his last 10-K game on June 18, 2016, with Buffalo at Lehigh Valley.
Hutchison sandwiched a pair of strikeouts around a two-out double in the first. He didn't allow a baserunner into scoring position again until a two-out double in the fifth, an inning that followed three punchouts against the Hens' 2-3-4 batters in the fourth.
The Florida native's toughest inning came in the sixth when three singles loaded the bases with one away. Hutchison, who induced a team-high 14 double plays on the season, got a big one against Michael Almanzar to escape the threat. He then pitched around a one-out two-bagger in the seventh before handing over to Casey Sadler for the final two innings.
Hutchison's final line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K, 102 pitches/68 strikes.