Scherzer passes Perry as Blue Jays sweep Mariners

Max Scherzer delivered a historic performance on Sunday, striking out a season-high 10 batters over seven one-hit innings to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners, completing a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre. The 42-year-old right-hander’s dominant outing also saw him surpass Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry for ninth place on Major League Baseball’s all-time career strikeout list. Scherzer was in complete control from the start, striking out the side in the first inning. He allowed only a walk to Taylor Ward in the second and a two-out double to Cal Raleigh in the fourth, which broke up a no-hit bid. The veteran pitcher retired the final 10 batters he faced, earning his first win since the season opener on March 31. He threw 97 pitches, 67 for strikes, and recorded 17 whiffs, eight of which came off his four-seam fastball. The milestone strikeout came in the seventh inning when he fanned Raleigh for the second out, recording career strikeout No. 3,535. As the achievement was displayed on the videoboard, Scherzer received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd of 42,039.