Dodgers’ Max Scherzer Records His 3,000th Career Strikeout

From 2015 to 2019, Scherzer averaged 210 innings and 274 strikeouts, while posting a 2.74 earned run average and a 79-39 record. He has bounced back from a down year in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, during which he posted a 3.74 E.R.A., and is now making a late-season push for his fourth Cy Young Award.

Out of playoff contention, the Nationals traded him to the defending World Series champion Dodgers before the July 30 trade deadline. Scherzer, also a top players’ union representative, has a 0.88 E.R.A. and 72 strikeouts, including nine on Sunday, with his new team. They have won all eight of his starts and saw him come within five outs of a perfect game on Sunday.

After notching his 3,000th strikeout, Scherzer quickly acknowledged the standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd — which included his parents, wife and children — by raising his cap high above his head. But in his typical fashion, he didn’t smile, too focused on the game, and he got right back to work.

“When you win awards or you accomplish a milestone, it usually takes a year to fully appreciate what that means in the context of everything,” Scherzer said. “Hopefully I keep pitching and keep dreaming up new things to do, and hopefully you get more perspective and appreciate the history of this more a year from now.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/sports/baseball/max-scherzer-3000-strikeouts.html