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Bautista ties Blue Jays' single-season strikeout record

Kevin Sousa / USA TODAY Sports

Jose Bautista's swan song with the Toronto Blue Jays has not gone according to plan.

Entering what likely will be the slugger's final homestand with the team he's played for since 2008, it was bound to be bittersweet. Tuesday underlined just how much of a disappointment this year has been.

When Bautista went down swinging in the bottom of the eighth inning against Kansas City Royals reliever Mike Morin, he tied a franchise record with his 159th strikeout of the season. He matched Jose Canseco (1998) and Kelly Johnson (2012) as the only Blue Jays batters to reach this dubious number, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi.

Bautista's previous career-high in strikeouts came in 2010 when he recorded 116 of them in 161 games. He also happened to hit 54 home runs that season, which makes the Ks a little easier to stomach.

His current struggles mark the first time in his career where he's averaged more than one strikeout per contest. With 11 games left on the schedule, Bautista will almost certainly take over sole position among Blue Jays single-season strikeout leaders. Overall, he's batting .207/.314/.375 with 22 home runs and 60 RBIs.

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