When Roger Clemens pitched for the Red Sox, Fenway Park was illuminated.  Clemens was a fiery pitcher and opposing batters couldn’t catch up with his fast ball.  And when night against the Seattle Mariners, everything was clicking for the “Rocket” and a major league record would be broken.

It was on this day, April 29th, 1986, that Roger Clemens struck out 20 Seattle Mariners.  He became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to strikeout 20 in a 9 inning game. Tom Cheney had struck out 21, but it was in 16 innings.

The Red Sox won the game 3 – 1. The lone Seattle run came on a 7th inning homerun by Gorman Thomas.  The Rocket struck out all 9 Seattle Mariners batters including Phil Bradley whom he struck out 4 times.