May 21, 1963 - Jim Maloney (left with Pete Rose), Cincinnati right-hander, equaled the modern major league record of 8 consecutive strikeouts and fanned a total of 16 today as the Reds defeated the Milwaukee Braves, 2-0. The 22-year-old Maloney, who scored his sixth victory, ran into difficulties in the ninth and had to be relieved by Bill Henry. He had allowed only two hits. Frank Robinson knocked in both Cincinnati runs. Maloney, the first pitcher to shut out the Braves this year, struck out 15 in the first 7 innings and had a fine shot at the modern record of 18 held by Bob Feller and Sandy Koufax. The most strikeouts ever recorded in a 9-inning game were 19 by Charley Sweeney of Providence in 1884. Maloney started his string of eight straight with Eddie Mathews in the first inning. Hank Aaron ended the streak by grounding out in the fourth. The eight consecutive strikeouts matched the modern record set by Max Surkont of Milwaukee in 1953 at the expense of the Reds and tied by Johnny Podres of the Los Angeles Dodgers last year against the Phillies. Maloney fanned every member of the Braves’ starting cast at least once and got Mathews three straight times. Maloney said in the clubhouse after the game that his “arm started to tire on him in the seventh.” “I lost a little fire off my fastball and as a result had trouble getting it in the strike zone. I knew I’d had it when I walked Mathews in the ninth and threw two straight balls to Steve Larker,” Maloney added.
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