98.9 was the average pitch velocity on the 12 pitches (nine strikes) 37-year-old Aroldis Chapman threw in the top of the ninth Wednesday afternoon, slamming the door on the Reds and helping the Red Sox snap a skid of three straight series losses.
It was business as usual for the 6-foot-4 southpaw, who has now converted 15 of his 16 save opportunities this season. But this one carried a bit more weight — it marked Chapman's 350th career save, good for 14th on MLB's all-time list. He's just the third left-handed pitcher to reach that milestone, joining John Franco and Hall of Famer Billy Wagner.
"It means a lot," Chapman said on the milestone. "Obviously, because of all the hard work that you put in, and also because it means your team wins. The 350 saves means the team has won that many times."
Chapman, who has not allowed an earned run in his last 14 games (14.0 IP, three hits, two walks, 23 strikeouts), has posted a 1.29 ERA this season, the second-best among players with at least 15 save opportunities behind only Seattle's Andrés Muñoz (1.16). It's the best mark he has posted since his 1.51 in 2012, fittingly, with the Reds. His walk rate is also down to 7.8%, his lowest since his 8.1% in 2016.
"It's so impressive. He's a dominant force out there, and you can feel him. I've been on the other side of that, and it's not fun," said Trevor Story. "I'm glad that he's on our team, and he sets the tone for the bullpen and for our team in a lot of ways. We rely on him heavily, and he's done an amazing job this year."
The only active players with more saves than Chapman are Craig Kimbrel (440) and Kenley Jansen (462), both of whom also spent time with the Red Sox under manager Alex Cora.
"I've had the luxury of having three of the great ones, the best in the game -- Craig, Kenley, and Chappy. Work wasn't bad, and Barnesy was good, too. But those guys, it's an eight-inning game, and then the ninth, if it's tied or we have the lead, 'Just go ahead, do your thing,'" manager Alex Cora said postgame. "And the guy, he keeps getting better."
Chapman is making a strong case for his eighth career All-Star team later this month. But for now, he's got another on his mind: becoming just the ninth player in league history to record 400 saves.
"My goal is to reach 400," he said. "I know that is not an easy task to accomplish, but I'm going to keep working hard to be able to accomplish that goal."
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