Scherzer passes Walter Johnson for 10th all time in strikeouts
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- Max Scherzer moved into 10th place all time in strikeouts with 3,516 career Ks, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson (3,515) during the Blue Jays' 7-5 win over the Phillies on Saturday night in Philadelphia.
- Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber leading off the sixth inning to surpass Johnson, then surrendered back-to-back home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper that tied the game at 2 and ended his outing.
- The 42-year-old Scherzer cruised through five scoreless innings, scattering just three hits and retiring nine batters in a row before the consecutive homers, finishing with two runs allowed on five hits and four strikeouts.
- Scherzer lowered his ERA to 7.25 with the start and now trails only Justin Verlander (3,554) in strikeouts among active pitchers, with 38 Ks separating them.
- Scherzer was selected in the first round (No. 11) by Arizona in the 2006 draft and has won three Cy Young Awards, made eight All-Star teams, and won two World Series titles.
Why it matters: At 42, Scherzer keeps climbing an all-time leaderboard once led by dead-ball legends, now trailing only fellow active pitcher Justin Verlander (3,554) among the game's living. The milestone underscores his late-career longevity even as his 7.25 ERA this season shows the 42-year-old is accumulating strikeouts in a very different phase of his career than the one that produced three Cy Young Awards.
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