Heading into Wednesday’s start, it had been two years, nine months and 15 days since Corey Kluber’s last career shutout. In the time between, the man who once topped 200 innings for five straight years pitched just 26 times over three seasons, fighting through injuries and ineffectiveness to desperately rediscover the form that once made him so dominant.
Against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, 'Klubot' validated his comeback by reaching heights he hadn't even breached during his two Cy Young campaigns.
Kluber struck out nine batters and needed 101 pitches in throwing the 12th no-hitter in Yankees history, completing a return to his old self that had been years in the making and had really taken hold in the past few weeks.