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Lackey becomes 16th pitcher to beat all 30 teams

Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images Sport / Getty

John Lackey joined a very exclusive club Monday.

The 37-year-old spun seven innings of four-hit shutout ball while striking out 11 to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-0 victory over his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Once the victory was official, Lackey became just the 16th pitcher in history to defeat all 30 teams.

Lackey sounded surprised to learn of his unique accomplishment. "I didn't even know that," he told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, before adding that the feat would be ranked "not that high" on his list of career milestones.

Monday was Lackey's first career regular-season start against the Cardinals, despite playing his entire career in the era of interleague play. He did record a postseason win against St. Louis in Game 6 of the 2013 World Series, while a member of the Boston Red Sox.

The 14-year veteran's first career victory came on June 30, 2002, when he tossed six innings in the then-Anaheim Angels' 5-1 win over the Dodgers. He's recorded more wins against the Athletics than any other franchise, besting Oakland 19 times in 35 starts.

Lackey is currently the only active member of the list, though that could change if another member of the club, free-agent hurler Kyle Lohse, pitches this season. Three other pitchers on the list - Dan Haren, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson (who did it last season) - retired after 2015.

Other prominent members include Curt Schilling, Kevin Brown, Jamie Moyer, and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The first pitcher to defeat all 30 franchises - a feat that's only been possible since 1998 - was former Mets left-hander Al Leiter.

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