How Kansas City Royals’ Matt Duffy ensured his team’s dubious run of K’s would end at 9

Need a strikeout streak broken? Call Matt Duffy.

He wishes the circumstances were more favorable, but the Royals’ Duffy has now ended two of the longest strikeout streaks by an opposing pitcher in major-league history.

The latest came on Monday in the Royals’ 11-2 loss to the Texas Rangers and left-hander Andrew Heaney, who was dazzling.

Starting with Duffy in the first inning, Heaney struck out the next eight Royals, giving him nine straight punchouts. That set a Rangers record and tied the American League record held by two pitchers, both with the Detroit Tigers: Tyler Alexander in 2020 and Doug Fister in 2012 against the Royals.

Duffy ended Heaney’s streak in the fourth inning with a flyout to right field.

“I’m just trying the break the cycle, really,” Duffy said. “Sometimes guys get on a roll like that and they’re locating their best pitch in the best spot over and over again.”

Heaney finished with 10 strikeouts, mowing down the side in the second and third innings. His low release point “creates a tougher angle for his four-seam fastball to handle,” Duffy said. “Really got a get a guy down in the strike zone, and in that (streak) it seemed like all his fastballs were up.”

Two years ago, Duffy found himself in a similar situation in 2021, playing for the Chicago Cubs, who were facing the Milwaukee Brewers and Corbin Burnes.

Burnes had fanned 10 straight Cubs when Duffy’s single ended the run.

“He was exceptional that night,” Duffy said of Burnes. “If I was getting anything in the strike zone I was swinging at it. I didn’t care what pitch it was.”

In the second game of the series, the Royals are scheduled to face Jacob deGrom, who while pitching for the Mets in 2021 struck out nine straight Colorado Rockies.