PHILADELPHIA – Move over, Big Train. Mad Max just put you in his rear-view mirror.
Max Scherzer passed Walter Johnson for sole possession of 10th place on Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout list, recording the 3,516th punchout of his career with a sixth-inning K of Kyle Schwarber on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Scherzer entered Saturday’s start needing four strikeouts to pass Johnson, who pitched for the Washington Senators from 1907-1921, earning induction into the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936. Johnson’s career strikeout total is 3,515, according to Elias Sports Bureau, which is the official statistician of Major League Baseball.
Scherzer recorded his first strikeout in the opening frame, getting former Nationals teammate Bryce Harper on a 1-2 slider. The second came in the third inning, as Scherzer struck out Garrett Stubbs on three pitches, finishing him off with a curveball. Scherzer tied Johnson in the fifth with his 3,515th strikeout, getting Bryan De La Cruz on a check swing that first-base umpire Brock Ballou ruled a swing for strike three.
Scherzer’s milestone strikeout came in the bottom of the sixth, as he caught Schwarber looking at strike three to pass Johnson for 10th place.
It was only appropriate that Scherzer moved into the top 10 in Philadelphia, where he’s enjoyed some of his greatest success. The 42-year-old now has 255 career strikeouts against the Phillies – more than any other team he’s faced – while his 116 strikeouts are the most by a visiting pitcher at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004.
Things took a turn for Scherzer following his historic strikeout, as Trea Turner and Harper hit back-to-back solo home runs, tying the game 2-2 before Scherzer was pulled for reliever Spencer Miles.
Scherzer ranks second to former teammate Justin Verlander among all active pitchers in wins and strikeouts, numbers that will see him land in Cooperstown five years after his magnificent career is complete.
“Just knowing him, the person, and kind of how he can be, you forget about the stuff that comes with him: the numbers, the strikeouts, the World Series, the Cy Youngs, all the stuff that comes with him, because he’s still really, really competitive,” manager John Schneider said before the game. “That would be cool when we’re talking top 10 anything in baseball. You’re lucky to be part of that – a small part of that – based on what he’s done.”
Next up on the list for Scherzer: Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, who ranks No. 9 with 3,534 strikeouts. Verlander is currently in the No. 8 spot at 3,554, while Don Sutton – another Hall of Famer – is No. 7 with 3,574.
