Scherzer strikes out 20 Tigers
WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer has thrown two no-hitters, come within one strike of a perfect game and met just about every expectation that accompanied the $210 million contract he signed with Washington.
Still, after his latest masterpiece Wednesday night, he said: “There’s something about 20.”
Scherzer struck out 20 batters to match the major league record for a nine-inning game in the Nationals’ 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
“Tonight was an emotional game, facing a former team and all those guys I have so much respect for,” Scherzer said after pitching against the Tigers for the first time since leaving Detroit. “And so to have a game like this against that caliber of hitter on their side, it really puts a feather in my cap.”
Scherzer (4-2) had a chance to break the mark when James McCann stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning. McCann, who whiffed his previous three times up, grounded to third base for the final out.
“It crossed my mind,” said Scherzer, who did not issue a walk. “I was thinking of all the different scenarios in an 0-2 count that I could do to be able to get that last strikeout.”
The ace right-hander, who pitched two no-hitters for Washington last season and struck out 17 in the second one, joined Roger Clemens (twice), Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson as the only big league pitchers to compile 20 strikeouts in nine innings.
“That’s some serious company,” Scherzer said. “It won’t sink in right now, but it’s an amazing accomplishment.”
Johnson achieved his feat for Arizona during a 2001 game that went 11 innings. Tom Cheney holds the major league record with 21 strikeouts when he pitched all 16 innings for the Washington Senators against Baltimore in 1962.
After striking out the side in the eighth, all on called strikes, Scherzer was up to 18 on 106 pitches, with the Nationals holding a two-run lead.
Said Scherzer: “There really wasn’t a conversation, to be honest with you. Everybody knew I wanted the ball, everybody was going to give me the ball.”
The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up a leadoff homer to J.D. Martinez in the ninth, then blew a 97 mph fastball by slugger Miguel Cabrera for strikeout No. 19.
Victor Martinez singled for his third hit before Scherzer got another All-Star bopper, Justin Upton, swinging at a low slider to tie the record.
That came one pitch after Upton’s foul pop landed just beyond the reach of the first baseman.
