Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer made history on Sunday as he climbed to ninth place on the all-time strikeout list, surpassing Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, achieved this milestone by striking out Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh in the seventh inning, marking his 3,535th career strikeout.
The sold-out crowd of 42,039 erupted in applause when the scoreboard displayed Scherzer’s accomplishment. Expressing his gratitude, Scherzer acknowledged the significance of moving up in the top 10 all-time strikeout list and appreciated the support from his teammates and fans.
In a stellar performance, Scherzer recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts during the game, marking the 115th time in his career that he has achieved double-digit strikeouts in a game. He limited the Mariners to just one hit over seven innings, securing his first win of the season since his opening start on March 31 against the Colorado Rockies. Scherzer threw 97 pitches, with an impressive 67 strikes.
This exceptional outing by Scherzer included a rare feat in MLB history, where a pitcher aged 42 or older pitched seven or more innings, struck out 10 or more batters, and allowed two or fewer baserunners. Only Nolan Ryan had achieved this twice, with the most recent instance occurring on May 1, 1991.
Manager John Schneider lauded Scherzer’s performance, describing it as reminiscent of the pitcher’s prime years. Scherzer showcased his dominance early in the game by striking out the side in the first inning.
Despite the Mariners’ efforts, Scherzer’s pitching prowess proved too much to handle. The veteran pitcher continued his climb up the all-time strikeout list, surpassing Walter Johnson earlier in the month. With this achievement, Scherzer now stands in 10th place all-time, with former teammate Justin Verlander being the only other active pitcher in the top 10.
Having begun his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, Scherzer, an eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, has also played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers.
