Watch: Britton collects 50th consecutive save in dramatic fashion
O's defense backs up @zbritton who records his 50th-consecutive save. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/KnTMLBx2SG
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 6, 2017
New year, same result for Zach Britton.
The Toronto Blue Jays did make Britton work for it, but the Baltimore Orioles All-Star eventually did what he usually does when called upon in the ninth inning. Britton got his former teammate Steve Pearce to hit into a game-ending double play that gave the Orioles a 3-1 win Wednesday, and gave the southpaw his 50th consecutive converted save.
Britton last blew a save on Sept. 20, 2015.
His streak of 50 consecutive saves is the fifth-longest since the statistic became official in 1969, and the longest active streak in the majors.
| Pitcher | Team | Years | Consec. SV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Gagne | Dodgers | 2002-04 | 84 |
| Tom Gordon | Red Sox | 1998-99 | 54 |
| Jeurys Familia | Mets | 2015-16 | 52 |
| Jose Valverde | Tigers | 2010-11 | 51 |
| Zach Britton | Orioles | 2015-Present | 50 |
Still, it wasn't easy for Britton to record this save. Toronto loaded the bases in the ninth thanks to a pair of singles and a walk; it was the first time Britton allowed three baserunners in an inning since Aug. 11 of last year.
The 29-year-old finished fourth in Cy Young voting last season and won the Mariano Rivera Award as AL Reliever of the Year in 2016 after he posted a staggering 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and converted all 47 of his save opportunities for Baltimore last year.