This Day In Dodgers History: Hyun-Jin Ryu’s Bid For Perfect Game; Sandy Koufax Strikes Out 16

On May 26, 2014, Hyun-Jin Ryu made a bid for a perfect game just one day after Josh Beckett threw the 24th no-hitter in Los Angeles Dodgers franchise history.

Ryu had thrown seven perfect innings against the Cincinnati Reds before Todd Frazier doubled to lead off the top of the eighth. The left-hander gave up two additional hits before he was removed with one out in the inning.

Brian Wilson entered the game and struck out the first batter he faced. The right-hander would then run into his own trouble as he allowed three consecutive runners to reach base.

Kenley Jansen replaced him and recorded the final out of the inning. He then threw a scoreless ninth to record his 15th save of the season that solidified the Dodgers’ 4-3 win.

Ryu’s final line was 7.1 innings pitched, three hits, three runs and seven strikeouts. He improved to 5-2 and finished the season 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA, 2.62 FIP and 1.19 WHIP in 26 starts.

The Dodgers fell short of becoming the first team to pitch back-to back no-hitters, but tied a record set by the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 with 17 consecutive hitless innings. That streak originally began on May 24, 2014, when Paul Maholm recorded a hitless ninth inning.

Sandy Koufax strikes out 16 in Dodgers’ win over Phillies

Also on this day in 1962, Sandy Koufax recored 16 strikeouts in a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The left-hander went nine innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and walked two.

It was an impressive performance for Koufax, but surprisingly, not the most strikeouts he’s had in a single game. Roughly one month earlier on April 24, Koufax set a Major League record with 18 strikeouts in a complete game.

The 1962 season was the second of six consecutive All-Star appearances for Koufax. He went 14-7 with a 2.54 ERA, 2.15 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine in 184.1 innings pitched across 28 games (26 starts).