Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer climbed to 10th place in all-time strikeouts, surpassing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in the Blue Jays’ 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. The 42-year-old Scherzer, in his ninth start of the season, now boasts 3,516 career strikeouts, edging past Johnson by one and trailing only Justin Verlander (3,554) among active pitchers in strikeouts.
During the game, Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber at the start of the sixth inning to surpass Johnson’s record before allowing back-to-back home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, which tied the score at 2 and ultimately ended his appearance.
Scherzer had a strong performance, pitching five scoreless innings against Philadelphia, allowing just three hits, and retiring nine consecutive batters before the home runs. He finished the night giving up two runs on five hits, with four strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 7.25.
Originally drafted in the first round (No. 11 overall) by Arizona in 2006, Scherzer has an impressive career resume, including three Cy Young awards, eight All-Star selections, and two World Series championships.
In a related development, George Springer was unexpectedly removed from Toronto’s starting lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday due to tightness in his left shoulder. Scheduled to be the designated hitter and bat fourth, Springer has been hitting .234 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 86 games this season.
Manager John Schneider mentioned that Springer had been managing the issue for a couple of days but expressed confidence that it would not be a long-term concern. Despite the scratch, Springer later entered the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning.
