Major League Baseball has set its season strikeout record for the 12th straight season.
Batters struck out 41,098 times through Monday, closing in on the 41,207 of last season. Philadelphia and Washington combined for 19 strikeouts in the first game of their day-night doubleheader, and there were more than 100 strikeouts in the night games by around 9 p.m. EDT.
Strikeouts broke 40,000 for the first time in 2017, when there were 40,104.
Boston Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts reacts after being called out on strikes on a pitch by Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Colin Poche to end a baseball game Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP PhotoChris O'Meara)
Before the record run started in 2008, the mark had been 32,404 in 2001. Strikeouts totaled 29,937 in 1996 before reaching the 30,000 for the first time the following year.
MLB also set a record for home runs this season. The league entered Tuesday with 6,550, surpassing the mark of 6,105 set in 2017.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic and LeBron James were brought together for nights like these. The two Los Angeles Lakers superstars topped 30 points each in a game for the first time this season.
Doncic had 34 points, hitting 17 of 20 free throws, and six rebounds and eight assists. James had 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting to go with nine rebounds and six assists.
The Lakers rallied for a 128-121 victory over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
It was the third time overall that Doncic and James both scored 30 or more points in the same game, their 42nd together. It happened twice in March, a month after Doncic joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade from Dallas.
“Just playing in rhythm. Trying to find ways that we can be productive,” said James, the NBA's oldest active player who turned 41 on Tuesday. “Luka did a great job getting to the free throw line. Myself, just trying to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. Just trying to be consistent and super efficient with my play. We worked well off each other.”
Doncic's 17 made free throws were one off his career high, while his 20 attempts were a season high. As a team, the Grizzlies were 15 of 23 from the line.
“Just trying to get downhill a lot more than usual for me,” Doncic said. “But for him, he's just playing his game, attacking whatever he sees, being efficient and helping us win the games.”
The Lakers improved to 11-0 in clutch-time wins this season. The game was tied twice in the fourth, when the teams traded one-point leads until the final 5 1/2 minutes. James had 10 points in the period and Doncic had six. They combined for five assists and three rebounds.
“He was phenomenal,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about James. “There was just a few stretches there where they made runs and the response from him, it felt like nearly every time we needed a bucket, he just kind of willed it.”
Doncic hit James with a 70-foot outlet pass at one point.
“One of the best quarterbacks and I’m a pretty good receiver when it comes to that,” James said. “It’s my job to not allow the defense to break that up or steal the ball. He put it on time and on target for me.”
Doncic and James got plenty of help from their teammates. Jake LaRavia had 21 points and nine rebounds and Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Jaxson Hayes added 12 points off the bench.
“Them doing that, it actually takes the pressure and the load off LeBron and Luka,” Redick said.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, and guard Marcus Smart celebrate after Smart scored during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies center Christian Koloko defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, center, drives toward the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, left, and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, left, and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James go after a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
