Scherzer gets to 300 Ks in win
WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer became the 17th pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 batters in a season, reaching that milestone by fanning 10 in seven innings Tuesday night during the Washington Nationals’ otherwise meaningless 9-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.
Scherzer (18-7) lowered his ERA to 2.53 by allowing one run in seven innings as he bids for a third consecutive NL Cy Young Award; he also won the 2013 honor in the AL for Detroit. He threw 70 of his 100 pitches for strikes, gave up five hits and didn’t walk a batter.
The righty reached the 300-strikeout mark by getting Austin Dean to whiff on an 85-mph slider at the end of a 10-pitch at-bat for the second out of the seventh. Scherzer pumped his fist while much of the announced crowd of 26,483 — including his wife, Erica MayScherzer — joined players in the home dugout and home bullpen by saluting the ace with a standing ovation.
Sweating profusely on a muggy, 78-degree evening, Scherzer had all of his repertoire Max Scherzer waves to the crowd after he recorded his 300th strikeout of the season during Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins in Washington. working, from the 97-mph fastballs he threw past Lewis Brinson for strikeouts in the fourth and seventh innings, to the 84-mph changeup that JT Riddle missed for a K leading off the game.
Scherzer now has 10 strikeouts or more in a majors-high 18 of his 33 starts in 2018, and 82 such games for his career.
ASTROS 4, BLUE JAYS 1: The Houston Astros reached 100 wins for the second straight season and closed in on the AL West title, beating the Toronto Blue Jays behind Alex Bregman’s two-run homer. Houston improved to 100-57 and would clinch the division with one more win or a loss by second-place Oakland (95-62), which
played later at Seattle. Seeking their second straight AL West title, the Astros need three wins in their final five games to break the franchise record for victories in a season, set in 1998. Houston is 18-4 in September and 54-22 on the road, both best in the major leagues.
YANKEES 9, RAYS 2: Struggling Gary Sanchez drove in four runs for the first time since early April, Luis Severino won his 19th game and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays to keep up their push for home-field advantage in the AL wild-card game. Sanchez had been 10 for 66 (.152) since returning Sept. 1 from a groin strain and 1 for his last 28, dropping his average to .180. He hit a three-run homer off Jalen Beeks in a seven-run third inning, his first long ball since Sept. 10, and added an RBI single in the fifth. Severino (19-8) is competing with Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ to start in the Oct. 3 wildcard game, most likely against Oakland. The Yankees began the night 1½ games ahead of the Athletics for home-field advantage.
OHTANI TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY IN OCTOBER: Los Angeles Angels two-way rookie Shohei Ohtani will have Tommy John surgery next week. The Angels confirmed Ohtani’s long-expected decision on elbow ligament replacement Tuesday. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery in Los Angeles. Ohtani won’t be able to pitch for the Angels in 2019, but he is likely to hit at some point early next season. When asked whether Ohtani is likely to be ready for opening day as a hitter, Scioscia said there are “too many variables” to make a confident prediction. Ohtani wasn’t available to reporters before the game, but Scioscia confirmed general manager Billy Eppler’s earlier statements that the Angels are committed to Ohtani’s determination to be a two-way player in the majors.