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.
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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."
