Top Moments of a 2014: A glimpse of greatness

#10 Drew Hutchison‘s 3-Hit Complete Game

It was May 16th, the Jays were playing the series opener against the Texas Rangers facing off against the unhittable Yu Darvish with an even 21-21 win-loss record. Drew Hutchison was set to take the hill for the Jays in his ninth start of the season, still in search of the dominant form exhibited earlier in spring training.

The game didn’t start out much different for Hutchison and the Jays. He was able to punch-out Shin-Soo Choo and Prince Fielder in the first around a lone single by Adrian Beltre. With a clean second inning, Hutchison surrendered another single in the third to Leonys Martin before retiring 17 of 18 batters in a row, only walking Martin in the 6th inning.

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The Jays were able to take a late 2-0 lead thanks in part to Melky Cabrera‘s  two-run double in the top of the 8th inning.

Hutchison found himself in a pitchers dream, pitching in the 9th inning with a chance to single handedly earn the club their twenty-second victory of the season. After allowing a Rougned Odor lead-off single, Hutchison calmed himself retiring Choo, Elvis Andrus and Beltre to finalize the complete game, two-hit shutout.

His final line was an awe worthy complete nine innings pitched with six strikeouts, one walk and three hits allowed. Hutchison’s line was also remarkably efficient throwing a total 105 pitches, 70 for strikes.

This wound up being the only complete game Hutchison would throw all season but was one fervently remembered by Jays fans for what could be for the young pitcher.

Hutchison went on to have a decent season for the Jays despite his unattractive peripheral statistics. While his 11-13 win-loss record, 4.48 ERA aren’t the most appealing  stats going into next season, his 3.85 FIP suggests he is in for a comeback season in 2015.

2014 manifested moments of stardom for the 24-year-old but nothing worthy of established greatness. Hutchison won’t have to be as elusive as he was on the night of May 16th for 2015 to be regarded as an impressive season, but if he’s able to recreate some of the magic he displayed in Arlington that night, he could be instrumental for the Jays success.