Move over Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens, you’ve got company. In the Washington Nationals’ 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Max Scherzer tied a Major League record with 20 strikeouts.
Twenty! Max Scherzer has struck out 20 batters in a game. pic.twitter.com/W7IDDUxzD7
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 12, 2016
Scherzer — the former Tiger — dominated his former teammates. Victor Martinez was the only Detroit starter to not strikeout. Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, James McCann and Anthony Gose all struck out three times.
Scherzer joins Roger Clemens (twice) and Kerry Wood as the only pitchers to strike out 20 men in a nine-inning game. Randy Johnson also achieved 20 strikeouts in an extra-inning game, though it took him only nine innings to notch the 20 K’s.
Wood welcomed Scherzer into the exclusive club.
Congratulations to @Max_Scherzer on an impressive and dominant performance tonight. Welcome to the club! #Filthy
— Kerry Wood (@KerryWood) May 12, 2016
What sets Scherzer’s game apart from the others is that he needed only 119 pitches, which is the fewest ever thrown in a 20-strikeout performance.