Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman earned his 26th save of the season on Thursday, striking out two batters in the ninth inning to secure a one-run victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Entering with a slim lead, Chapman allowed a one-out double that put the tying run in scoring position.
He then struck out Colby Thomas and Nick Kurtz to end the game.
The outing extended his scoreless streak to 10 appearances and tied him for the fourth-most saves in the majors this season, according to CBS Sports.
Chapman's recent performance follows a strong stretch, including his 25th save on Monday against the Athletics with three strikeouts, as reported by NBC Sports.
His current form puts him on track to potentially challenge his career-high of 38 saves in a single season.
Milestones and Hall of Fame Talk
Earlier this week, Chapman reached significant career milestones.
On Wednesday, he closed a 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles for his 390th career save, tying Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for ninth on the all-time saves list.
He surpassed Eckersley on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays with save number 391, as reported by the Boston Herald.
Eckersley, who observed Chapman at Fenway Park, praised his ability to perform in major media markets throughout his 17-year career.
"What I'm impressed with more than anything, (he did it) in big market cities," said Eckersley.
"The Yankees, that says something, the Cubs, it's hard to do it in a big spotlight. And here."
Chapman was also selected to his ninth All-Star team and became the all-time leader in strikeouts by a relief pitcher, surpassing Hoyt Wilhelm's record of 1,363.
Eckersley noted the physical dedication required for the 38-year-old to sustain his trademark velocity.
"I've seen what he does. His workouts and stuff.
He's a monster," said Eckersley.
"It's hard to throw strikes when you throw that hard, he uncoils, he's got a lot going on.
It's impressive, though. You have to want to do it, he's not afraid."
Chapman's improved control has been key to his recent success, allowing him to complement his triple-digit fastball with refined command.
"It's not that easy just because he throws 100, it can't be, because you have to control that (expletive)," said Eckersley.
"And he's had his — he can lose it. When he was with the Yankees it could be a little scary.
Until last year, he didn't walk anybody last year.
So it goes to show you what he can do if he has good control, it's like ridiculous."
The debate over relief pitchers and Hall of Fame candidacy continues, with only nine relievers enshrined in Cooperstown.
Billy Wagner was the most recent closer elected, in his final year of eligibility.
"How do you get to the Hall of Fame? 400 saves?
The last guy was (Billy) Wagner and it took him forever, so I don't know what the pecking order really is," said Eckersley.
"Don't involve me, man, because I wouldn't have made it if I only had 390 saves. (But) he's on his way."
Active leaders like Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, and Kenley Jansen remain on track for future consideration by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, while candidates who fall off the ballot rely on the Era Committee.
"It gets hard when you go on the veterans committee and you have to make decisions in that room," said Eckersley.
"What's the numbers? Everybody is punching everybody out.
I don't know. Who's next?
Kimbrel? Jansen?
K-Rod? There's a lot of them.
I don't want to be the guy saying, 'Yeah, you come, you go,' but that's what it comes to if you have to say something on the veterans committee."
Eckersley also reflected on the changing culture at Hall of Fame ceremonies.
"I still get uptight a little bit.
I'm not that cool, there's a lot of egos in there, there just is, and then there's old school and now there's a lot of young school there, things have kind of flipped over," said Eckersley.
"There's a different feel, a younger feel, but I take pride in going."
The Cooperstown induction class features Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent as the newest members.
