Fernandez reaches personal, team bests in latest gem

The Miami Marlins have to be pretty thankful they have Jose Fernandez. Who knows where they'd be without him.

Fernandez tied his career high with a 14-strikeout performance against the New York Mets on Sunday, while shutting out the Queens club and limiting them to just four hits over seven innings. It was his fifth double-digit strikeout performance of his season and the 14th of his career, which moves him past Ricky Nolasco for the most 10-plus strikeout games in Marlins franchise history.

The 23-year-old came into Sunday's contest averaging 12.769 strikeouts per nine innings to lead the majors. He increased that number by carving up Mets hitters like a Thanksgiving turkey, at one point striking out five in a row.

Fernandez also became the fourth pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts this season when he struck out Mets pitcher Matt Harvey in the fourth inning.

Harvey tried to match Fernandez's brilliance, and indeed turned in his second consecutive solid outing, but took the hard-luck 1-0 loss thanks to J.T. Realmuto's fifth-inning RBI single.