In a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Max Scherzer of the Toronto Blue Jays achieved a significant milestone by moving into 10th place all-time in strikeouts, surpassing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. At 42 years old and in his ninth start of the season, Scherzer now boasts 3,516 career strikeouts, edging past Johnson by one and ranking second among active pitchers, just behind Justin Verlander with 3,554 strikeouts.
During the game, Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber to move beyond Johnson’s record before giving up back-to-back home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, resulting in a tied game at 2-2 and concluding Scherzer’s performance for the night.
Scherzer had a strong showing against the Phillies, pitching five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits, and retiring nine consecutive batters before Turner and Harper’s homers. Overall, he conceded two runs on five hits, struck out four batters, and lowered his ERA to 7.25.
Originally selected in the first round (No. 11 overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2006 draft, Scherzer boasts an impressive career with three Cy Young Awards, eight All-Star appearances, and two World Series championships.
In a separate development, George Springer was unexpectedly removed from the Blue Jays’ starting lineup against the Phillies due to left shoulder tightness. Scheduled to be the designated hitter batting fourth, Springer has a season average of .234 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 86 games.
Manager John Schneider mentioned that Springer had been managing the shoulder issue for a few days but expressed confidence that it would not be a prolonged concern. Despite the late scratch, Springer did make an appearance as a pinch runner in the eighth inning.