Gerritt Cole crashes the Astros single-season K record. Slashes Mariners lineup, 3-0

This game was about a pitcher the opposing team could barely touch, and about that pitcher putting the final touches on perhaps the most dominant season in the history of the Astros.

Geritt Cole pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed only two hits. Even more amazing, he struck out fourteen Mariners and walked zero. His ERA dropped to 2.52, now .01 lower than Justin Verlander. Between Cole and Verlander, the winner of the Cy Young award may now well be too close to call.

This is what Cole does to batters.

In amassing his 14 strikeouts this evening, Gerrit Cole set the all-time Astros single season strikeout record, getting 316, and breaking J.R Richards’ record of 313 set in 1979.

Meanwhile, Alex Bregman seems determined to make MVP voters take notice of his COMPLETE SEASON of accomplishments. He hit a major milestone, knocking his 40th home run, a solo shot, just over the left field fence at the foul pole.

The Astros added two more runs in the seventh, starting with Kyle Tucker’s double, followed by an RBI double by Aledmys Diaz, who scored the game’s final run on a Josh Reddick fielder’s choice.

Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna closed out the game for Cole, Osuna compiling his 37th save, tied for first with Aroldis Chapman for the AL lead. Pressly, recently returned from IL, got three strikeouts but looked a little shaky, allowing a hit and a walk, and throwing only 13 strikes out of 26 pitches. Still time to tune up before the games really count again.

In a side note the Yankees lost to the Rays, and the A’s lost to the Angels. The Astros are 1.5 games ahead of the Yankees for the AL lead. Meanwhile, the A’s are now only a half game ahead of the Rays in the WC race, and just a game ahead of the Indians.

Tomorrow it’s Greinke time

Game starts at 9:10 CDT.

Box score and videos HERE.