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Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas strikes out 13 Seattle Mariners

By David Mullen

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the top of the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum on September 27, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the top of the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum on September 27, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Frankie Montas accomplished something that had not been done in 25 years by an Oakland Athletics starter.

Oakland Athletics Frankie Montas struck out 13 Seattle Mariners in six innings on the final game of the 2020 regular season on September 27, a 6-2 A’s victory. He had an impressive 19 first-pitch strikes and gave up just two unearned runs. But he earned the starting pitcher’s hated result: a no-decision.

It was the most strikeouts by an Oakland starting pitcher since Todd Stottlemyer fanned 15 in 1995.

Todd Stottlemyer pitched for the A’s?

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Stottlemyer, now 55, played 15 seasons in the majors from 1988 to 2002. He is most known for being a member of the two-time World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. He also pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished with a career 138-121 record, a 4.24 ERA, and 1,587 strikeouts.

He is part of a strong pitching family. He is the son of the late Mel Stottlemyer, a former New York Yankees pitcher, three-time 20-game winner, and the American League starter in the 1969 All-Star Game. His brother, Mel Jr., pitched for the Kansas City Royals and is currently the pitching coach for the playoff-bound Miami Marlins.

A 6 foot-3 left-hander, Stottlemyer pitched one season for Oakland. In 31 starts, he was 14-7 with a 4.55 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 209.2 innings.

On a Friday night, June 16, 1995, before 10,696 fans at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Stottlemeyer hooked up in a pitcher’s duel with Kansas City Royals starter Tom “Flash” Gordon. After 10 seasons as a starter, Gordon would become an effective reliever with the Boston Red Sox and would pitch 11 more seasons out of the bullpen for Boston and six other teams.

After A’s right fielder Ruben Sierra hit a two-out, two-strike single to knock in centerfielder Andy Tomberlin with two out in the bottom of the eighth for the game’s first run, Royals centerfielder Tom Goodwin hit the first pitch he saw with two outs in the top of the ninth for a home run to tie the score. It was Goodwin’s first home run of the season.

Stottlemeyer’s pitching line that night was 10 innings, five hits allowed (Goodwin’s home run, a double by third baseman Gary Gaetti and three singles) and one walk. His 15 strikeouts came on 130 pitches.

Before the 1996 season, Stottlemyer was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers Jay Witasick, Carl Dale, Bret Wagner, and outfielder Allen Battle.

Frankie Montas looks playoff-ready. For Stottlemeyer, on a breezy Friday night in Oakland in mid-June of 1995, he established a little-remembered Oakland A’s milestone that ended in a dreaded no-decision.