Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer climbed to ninth place on the all-time strikeout list on Sunday, surpassing Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry. The three-time Cy Young Award winner achieved this milestone by striking out Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners for his 3,535th career strikeout in the seventh inning. The 42,039 fans in attendance at the sold-out game gave Scherzer a standing ovation when his accomplishment was displayed on the scoreboard.
Expressing his gratitude, Scherzer commented, “I respect the company on this list. Breaking into the top 10 all-time is significant. It’s especially rewarding to achieve this at home with the fans showing their support. I am thankful for my teammates and the fans for their backing.”
This game marked a season-high 10 strikeouts for Scherzer, marking the 115th occasion in his career where he struck out 10 or more batters. He also secured his first victory since the season opener by pitching seven innings and allowing only one hit. Scherzer threw 97 pitches, with 67 of them being strikes.
Making history, Scherzer, at 42 years old, became only the third pitcher in MLB history aged 42 or older to pitch seven or more innings, strike out 10 or more batters, and allow two or fewer baserunners in a single game. Notably, Nolan Ryan accomplished this feat twice, with his last occurrence being on May 1, 1991, during his seventh and final no-hitter against Toronto.
Manager John Schneider praised Scherzer’s performance, stating, “He was on point right from the start, showing great control and using his pitches effectively. It was like watching the vintage Max in action.”
In the game, Scherzer struck out the side in the first inning and continued his dominance throughout. His former teammate Justin Verlander, currently injured, sits at eighth place on the all-time strikeout list with 3,554 strikeouts. Scherzer, a former first-round pick in the 2006 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, boasts an impressive career as an eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, having played for various teams like Detroit, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, and Texas.
