Aroldis Chapman Sets MLB Reliever Strikeout Record

Aroldis Chapman became Major League Baseball's career leader in strikeouts by a reliever on Friday night, breaking a record that had stood for more than half a century during the Boston Red Sox's 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.

The 38-year-old left-hander recorded his 1,364th career strikeout as a reliever to open the ninth inning, fanning the Angels' Denzer Guzman to surpass the mark set by Hall of Fame knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, whose career ended in 1972. Chapman, who entered the game having tied the record last Sunday, said he felt very happy and proud of the accomplishment.

After the milestone strikeout, Chapman allowed back-to-back singles but escaped the jam by inducing a game-ending double-play grounder from Jo Adell to secure his 17th save of the season and the 383rd of his career. The Red Sox celebrated the achievement in the clubhouse with a video retrospective of Chapman's 17-year career, which began in 2010 and has included eight All-Star selections and two World Series championships.

The win was preserved for rookie starter Jake Bennett, who delivered a dominant performance in just his seventh career start. The left-hander retired the first 13...