The Houston Astros were projected to reach historic levels of futility in 2013, and three games into the season they are already on their way. The Astros set a record when they struck out 43 times during their three-game set with the Texas Rangers.
Houston struck out 13 times in the first game of the series, which they won 8-2. In the second game, Yu Darvish set down 14 Astros via the strikeout, as well as retired the first 26 batters he faced before surrendering a two-out single in the ninth inning by Marwin Gonzalez that spoiled a perfect game bid. They lost 7-0. Wednesday night, Alexi Ogando returned to the starting rotation after spending 2012 in the bullpen. His return was successful, shutting out the Astros 4-0, and striking out 10 batters. They struck out 12 more times than the entire National League East division.
Darvish, Ogando, and Matt Harrison (the starter on Opening night) all set career highs for strikeouts in the series.
After spring training ended, the Astros arrived to their ballpark to find brand new iPads in their lockers, courtesy of team owner Jim Crane. Crane bought his club the iPads so that they could better prepare for opponents on a daily basis.
Crane told MLB.com, "Jeff [Luhnow, the Astros general manager] had a recommendation that he wanted to download a lot of the stuff they look at -- the video they look at of their at-bats and pitching so they can study the pitching for the next night -- and wanted to give them an iPad when they got back, so we loaded them all up and had them in their lockers when they got back from Spring Training. I think it will be great when they're on the road, they can always work."
The 2010 Arizona Diamondbacks hold the record for most strikeouts by a team in a single season. Then-third basemen Mark Reynolds led all of baseball that season with 211 strikeouts.
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