Francisco Liriano just wanted to fit in.
After watching fellow starters Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett record 10 strikeouts apiece over the last two days, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a couple resounding victories over the New York Mets, the veteran left-hander delivered an even stronger performance Sunday to help his team secure a three-game sweep.
Liriano notched 12 strikeouts over six innings Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, guiding the Pirates to a decisive 9-1 victory just five days after laboring through his worst outing of the season. Though he was chased after just two innings Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, the 31-year-old allowed just one run on six hits and two walks Sunday while recording his sixth career start with at least 12 strikeouts.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Liriano also raised his strikeout rate to almost 29 percent after disposing of the Mets, a figure that would've ranked sixth among qualified starters heading into Sunday.