Johan Santana had a whiff of history…

Johan Santana set the Minnesota Twins' franchise record Sunday with 17 strikeouts, and then walked out the clubhouse door with just one thought.
Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner, was referring to the streaks by Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Webb and Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. Webb has pitched 42 consecutive shutout innings, 17 shy of Orel Hershiser's major league record, and Jenks is tied for the major league record by retiring 41 consecutive batters.
Santana's 17 strikeouts were the most in the majors since Ben Sheets fanned 18 in Milwaukee's 4-1 win over Atlanta on May 16, 2004, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He broke the Minnesota record of 15, accomplished four times — the last by Bert Blyleven on Aug. 1, 1986, against Oakland.
Santana (13-9) retired the first 12 batters he faced before Sammy Sosa led off the led off the fifth with a single to left-center. Sosa also doubled with two outs in the seventh for Texas' only other hit against the left-hander.
Santana struck out the side in the seventh and eighth innings to reach 112 pitches. But the left-hander then pulled himself from the game with an opportunity to tie the major league record of 20 strikeouts in a game, achieved four times, last by Randy Johnson in 2001.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he was going to leave the decision up to Santana, and got his answer when Santana walked off the mound and tipped his hat to the crowd.
"You want to sit in my seat and try to make that decision with all the people hooting and hollering for him to go back out there?" Gardenhire said.
Santana said he was aware of his total yet wanted to turn the game over to closer Joe Nathan since the Twins were holding a 1-0 lead.
The decision might have been different if not for Sosa, the only base runner allowed by Santana.” I’ve never seen him better," Sosa said.
Santana struck out six of the last seven batters he faced, including a 93 mph fastball he threw past Jarrod Saltalamacchia on his 112th — and final — pitch.