With three starts left in 2014 (entering Saturday), Twins righthander Phil Hughes has walked only 15 batters in 187⅔ innings pitched, putting him in position to become the 10th player in major league history (since 1901) to walk 20 or fewer batters in 200 or more innings. He also could set a record for fewest walks allowed; the record is 18, held by three players. The nine pitchers to reach 200 innings with 20 or fewer walks:
Pitcher, team
BB
IP
BB/9IP
Slim Sallee, 1919 Reds
20
227 ⅔
.79
Babe Adams, 1920 Pirates
18
263
.62
Red Lucas, 1933 Reds
18
219 ⅔
.74
LaMarr Hoyt, 1985 Padres
20
210 ⅓
.86
Bob Tewksbury, 1992 Cardinals
20
233
.77
Bob Tewksbury, 1993 Cardinals
20
213 ⅔
.84
Greg Maddux, 1997 Braves
20
232
.78
David Wells, 2003 Yankees
20
213
.85
Cliff Lee, 2010 Mariners/Rangers
18
212 ⅓
.76
The major league record for fewest walks in a season by a pitcher who qualified for the ERA title (minimum 162 innings) is held by a Twins pitcher: Carlos Silva walked only nine batters for the Twins in 2005 while pitching 188⅓ innings.
If the Twins can connect on a few long balls during their final homestand of the season, which begins Monday, they can reach a couple of firsts: They are seven home runs away from their team record of 69 homers at Target Field, and they can outhomer the opposition for the first time in the park's history; they currently trail their opponents by four home runs in the five-year-old park. With 62 home runs in Minneapolis and 53 on the road, entering Saturday, the Twins have already virtually assured that this will be the second time they hit more homers in Target Field than on the road. (They hit 69 at home in 2012, and 62 on the road.)
HRs
Twins
Opp.
2014
128
62
66
2013
142
68
74
2012
167
69
98
2011
126
46
80
2010
116
52
64
Bailey Ober used to babysit Drake Maye at their brothers' sporting events in North Carolina.
