Former Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox right-hander Michael Soroka had quite the debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Signing a one-year ($7.5 million) contract in the offseason, Soroka scattered four hits, struck out 10, and walked one in five innings against the Detroit Tigers. According to MLB Stats, Soroka’s 10 strikeouts surpassed Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson for most strikeouts in a Diamondbacks debut.
Dominance in the desert 🔥
Michael Soroka passed Hall of Famer Randy Johnson for the most strikeouts in a @Dbacks debut!
(MLB x @SageUSAmerica) pic.twitter.com/QAHCCE2kOq
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) March 31, 2026
Michael Soroka pitches an immaculate inning in his debut
Even more impressive the former All-Star (2021), Soroka pitched an immaculate inning (nine strikes, three strikeouts). Soroka struck out Tigers shortstop and former Cub Javier Baez, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and second baseman Gleyber Torres.
IMMACULATE INNING FOR MICHAEL SOROKA!
10 strikeouts through 5 innings in his @Dbacks debut! pic.twitter.com/M9hopu3jxN
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026
The seven-year veteran knew he was in the middle of an immaculate inning with one strike remaining on Torres. Soroka called Torres a “good hitter” and tried to throw a pitch in the zone to complete the feat.
“It was pretty special,” Soroka said to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. “I think I’ve talked to you guys about not putting too much stock in results but I think that’s one that’s worth celebrating. Gleyber is a good hitter, he’s quite passive, too. So I wanted to make sure it was something in the zone and just give myself a chance to get it done right there. So pretty cool. I tried to play it off, but started smiling on the field.”
Soroka’s performance helped the Diamondbacks secure their first victory of the season. The 28-year-old filled up the strike zone, with 60 of his 89 pitches being strikes.
The Diamondbacks right-hander also threw first-pitch strikes to nine out of the 20 batters faced. He also recorded five outs via flyout (three) and groundout (two).
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