Mike Trout has achieved a lot for someone who has had only two full seasons in the Major Leagues. He’s led the league in runs twice, and led once each in stolen bases and walks while lapping his competition in terms of WAR. But on Saturday afternoon against the Tigers, Trout achieved something he had never done in 352 career games.
He struck out four times, earning the golden sombrero. Tigers starter Max Scherzer struck out Trout three times and closer Joe Nathan notched the fourth in the top of the ninth. Entering the afternoon, Trout had struck out thrice in a single game 15 times, accounting for a paltry 4.3 percent of his games played.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus isn’t going to get excited about it:Ausmus on 4-K’ing Trout: “Even the greatest hitters have those days. Yesterday Mike Trout got us, so I’m not going to throw a party.”
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) April 19, 2014
With the 0-for-4 performance, Trout lost his AL lead in OPS, sliding behind Alexei Ramirez, 1.044 to 1.019. Trout, however, still leads the league in slugging percentage, .639 to Ramirez’s .621.
