Cardinals’ Cole fans 19

Chicago Cardinals ace Gerrit Cole struck righty 19 batters in a 5-1 victory over Las Vegas for what is believed to be the PGBL single-game record.
Cole (5-2) struck out the side in the eighth inning following a leadoff double by Brian Anderson, then exited the game after 109 pitches as Max Fried worked the ninth.
Cole whiffed five in a row after walking Austin Nola to start the game. He scattered four hits and a walk, losing his bid for a shutout when Jose Iglesias doubled to open the sixth and came home on Eric Sogard’s one-out single.
Brandon Crawford and Mike Tauchman each hit a two-run homer off Gamblers starter Adam Wainwright (1-4) as Chicago posted its fifth straight win.
Cole moved past Oakland’s Max Scherzer and Cardinals teammate Justin Verlander to take over the PGBL lead with 111 strikeouts. He owns a 4.48 ERA over 11 starts, allowing 14 homers in 70 1/3 innings.
(NOTE: If anyone is aware of any 20-strikeout games, let us know)