Buehrle yanked in 1st, falls shy of 200 innings

If Sunday's outing against the Tampa Bay Rays was indeed the final start of Mark Buehrle's illustrious career, the veteran left-hander didn't pen the storybook ending he was hoping for.

Buehrle, starting for the playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays on just one day of rest, took the mound just two innings shy of becoming the fifth pitcher in history to log at least 200 in 15 consecutive seasons. The 36-year-old didn't make it out of the first inning, though, allowing eight runs on one walk and five hits - including a grand slam by Joey Butler - while recording just two outs in what proved to be the shortest start of his career.

Buehrle's disappointing outing - had he recorded four more outs, he would've joined Cy Young, Gaylord Perry, Warren Spahn, and Don Sutton as the only pitchers with 15 straight 200-inning seasons - may very well bookend a decorated 16-year tenure in the majors, too.

On Saturday, one source told Bruce Levine of Chicago's 670 The Score that Buehrle will retire after Sunday's regular-season finale, though the five-time All-Star said after his club's 12-3 loss that he hasn't made any decision regarding retirement.

Buehrle also confirmed that he will not be included on Toronto's roster for the American League Division Series, calling his omission "the right decision." Though he entered Sunday's contest with a respectable 3.82 ERA (103 ERA+) in 31 starts this season, Buehrle struggled down the stretch, managing a 5.05 ERA with just 21 strikeouts in his last 10 starts.