BOSTON (AP) — At 37-years-old, Boston closer Aroldis Chapman routinely lights up the radar gun at 100 mph. He also sees a bigger number he’d like to reach.
Chapman pitched a perfect ninth inning Wednesday and earned his 350th career save as the Red Sox beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in the completion of a game suspended by rain a night earlier.
“My goal is to reach 400,” said Chapman through a team translator. “I know that’s not an easy task to accomplish, but I’m going to keep working hard to accomplish that goal.”
Chapman, now in his 18th season in the majors, has been hurt at times during his career by wildness and knew that was something he had to fix. The left-hander has walked just 10 in 35 innings this season and converted 15 of 16 save opportunities.
“The thing I know is that during the offseason I worked very hard to get this point to be able to not walk as many guys as I did in the past because it was one of the problems I had,” Chapman said to the media in the middle of clubhouse, with sweat still dripping from his forehead.
“To be able to accomplish that is great.”
On Wednesday, he struck out Elly De La Cruz, the third batter in the Reds’ lineup, with a 101.3 mph sinker. Next, he got cleanup hitter Austin Hays to bounce to short before Gavin Lux also grounded to short for the final out.
“It’s the same for every hitter,” he said, when asked if facing the middle of the order created any more adrenaline. “You know that the three-four hitters are coming up against you.”
The final two outs came on pitches of 99 mph or more.
Chapman also finds some satisfaction in hitting that high number on the radar gun at his age.
“I won’t say proud,” he said. “But I would say happy that I’m able to get to that velocity and also that my arm is healthy and in pretty good shape.”
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