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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer made history on Sunday (August 30) by moving into ninth place on Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout list. During the Blue Jays' 7-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners, Scherzer struck out 10 batters, surpassing Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry with a career total of 3,535 strikeouts. The 42-year-old right-hander also became the oldest pitcher in 35 years to record 10-plus strikeouts while allowing one hit or less in a game.
In the seventh inning, Scherzer struck out Cal Raleigh to achieve this milestone, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd at Rogers Centre. Scherzer, who has struck out 10 or more batters in a game 115 times in his career, expressed his gratitude, saying, "To be moving up in the top 10 all-time means something. It’s great to do it here at home and have the fans really get into it as well."
Scherzer's dominant performance included seven innings of one-hit baseball, with 67 of his 97 pitches thrown for strikes. He walked only one batter, with Raleigh's fourth-inning double being the only hit allowed. This outing marked Scherzer's first win since the season opener on March 31 against Colorado.
The Blue Jays' offense was sparked by Alejandro Kirk's two-run homer in the first inning, followed by a two-run double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a solo home run by Kazuma Okamoto. Toronto added three more runs in the eighth inning to secure the sweep against the Mariners.
Scherzer's achievement comes as the Blue Jays push for a playoff spot. Manager John Schneider praised Scherzer's performance, saying, "It was like vintage Max." Scherzer remains focused on the team's playoff aspirations, stating, "When you’re in the hunt, you have to win. The pressure is on."