In Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer achieved a significant milestone by moving into 10th place all-time in career strikeouts. The 42-year-old right-hander surpassed Hall of Famer Walter Johnson with a total of 3,516 strikeouts. Scherzer, who was making his ninth start of the season, now sits behind only Justin Verlander (3,554) among active pitchers in career strikeouts.
During the game, Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber to surpass Johnson but then gave up back-to-back home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, resulting in a tied score of 2-2 and ending his performance for the night. Prior to those homers, Scherzer had pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out four batters. His earned run average (ERA) dropped to 7.25 after allowing two runs on five hits in the game.
Having been a first-round draft pick (No. 11 overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, Scherzer boasts an impressive career with three Cy Young Awards, eight All-Star selections, and two World Series championships.
In another development, outfielder George Springer was unexpectedly removed from Toronto’s starting lineup against the Phillies due to left shoulder tightness. Scheduled to be the designated hitter and bat fourth, Springer’s absence was attributed to ongoing discomfort in his shoulder, according to manager John Schneider. Despite this setback, there are no major concerns about the injury being a long-term issue. Springer did make a late appearance in the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning.