WASHINGTON (AP) — With a bottle of bubbly at his feet and a baseball with the inscription “300 Ks” in a case in his locker http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-kent-hrbek-jersey , Max Scherzer allowed himself a moment to consider what he’d just accomplished.“It was something I dreamed of, reaching this mark,” Scherzer said, “because I know how hard it is to consistently go out there and strike guys out.”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.“A big number,” Nationals catcher Matt Wieters said, “when you’re talking about strikeouts.”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 300 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 May-Scherzer — joined players in the home dugout and home bullpen by saluting the ace with a standing ovation.“I definitely wanted to do it here at home,” said the 34-year-old Scherzer, who is currently slated to make one more start, in Sunday’s season finale at Colorado. “The fans — unbelievable support.”They would chant, “Let’s go, Max!” They would rise and cheer when he had two strikes on a hitter. They would emit a collective “Awwwwwww” when a pitch near the plate was ruled a ball — or even when a pitch resulted in any sort of out that wouldn’t add to his strikeout total.Sweating profusely on a muggy, 78-degree evening, Scherzer had all of his repertoire working, from the 97-mph fastballs he threw past Lewis Brinson for strikeouts in the fourth and seventh innings Kennys Vargas Jersey , to the 84-mph changeup that JT Riddle missed for a K leading off the game.As is Scherzer’s wont, he stalked around the grass after strikeouts.Asked whether he considered pulling his famously intense pitcher before No. 300, Nationals manager Dave Martinez laughed.“I value my life,” Martinez joked. “He was going to get 10 today, somehow.”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.He got Dean by throwing fastball after fastball with a full count, then getting him to chase a slider.“That’s probably where you can see Max has become a more complete pitcher than he was earlier in his career,” Wieters said, “where he was able to go with the slider and execute it and realize that with where that fastball was starting, (Dean is) going to be way out in front of it.”Dean’s take?“He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” the Marlins rookie said.The case certainly can be made. This is, after all, a guy with two no-hitters and a 20-strikeout game on his resume, along with the Cy Youngs.Scherzer entered Tuesday ranked No. 1 in the NL in eight significant statistical categories, including strikeouts, strikeouts-to-walks ratio (5.69), opponents’ batting average (.188) and innings pitched (213 2/3). He was also tied for No. 1 in two others: wins and quality starts (27).The expectation is that Scherzer and New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom are the main Cy Young contenders in the NL. DeGrom is 9-9 with a 1.77 ERA and single-season records of 23 consecutive quality starts and 28 starts in a row allowing three or fewer earned runs.“There’s more to pitching than just striking guys out,” Scherzer said Bert Blyleven Jersey , “but also, it is a big reason why you can have success.”RENDON AND HARPERNationals 3B Anthony Rendon hit a three-run shot in the first inning off Jeff Brigham (0-4), increasing his season totals to 24 homers and 90 RBIs and extending his streak of reaching base to 33 straight games. Rendon added an RBI double in the seventh, when Washington batted around and tacked on six runs. … Bryce Harper scored twice to surpass 100 runs for the season; he already had a career-best 100 RBIs and more than 100 walks. Harper can become a free agent in the offseason, so Wednesday’s series finale could be the 2015 NL MVP’s last home game at Nationals Park.UP NEXTThe Nationals will give 26-year-old RHP Kyle McGowin his first start in the majors Wednesday. Miami will start LHP Wei-Yin Chen (6-11, 4.66 ERA). PHOENIX (AP) — Maybe some day, milestone home runs will mean more to Paul Goldschmidt.The Arizona Diamondbacks slugger hit the 200th of his career during a five-run first inning in Arizona’s 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants Friday night. Goldschmidt, as he often does when it comes to his own stats, downplayed the achievement.“I couldn’t care less,” Goldschmidt said. “I’m just trying to go out there and help us win.”David Peralta had three hits, including a homer, to help Arizona win without manager Torey Lovullo, who was out with an illness. Peralta has seven hits in his past two games and the Diamondbacks have won five of seven.“Peralta’s been swinging the bat really well for us. It’s nice to see,” said bench coach Jerry Narron, who filled in as manager for Lovullo. “Guys were just trying to be patient, put balls in play and not try to do too much.”The Giants lost catcher Buster Posey to concussion symptoms in the third inning after he took a hard foul tip off his mask in the second. Posey reached first base on the second of two singles, then after seeing a trainer was escorted back to the dugout.San Francisco sent the tying run up to the plate with two outs in the ninth against Diamondbacks closer Brad Boxberger after back-to-back singles by Hunter Pence and Steven Duggar, but pinch hitter Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to end the game.Arizona sent 11 men up in the first inning against Giants starter Chris Stratton (8-7). He allowed six runs on 10 hits and walked four in three innings for his second-shortest start of the season.“When he made a mistake http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-o_neill-jersey , guys were able to hit it,” Goldschmidt said of the big inning. “Got some good counts there and laid off some tough pitches.”Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin (8-4) lasted six innings to get the win. The All-Star left-hander allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out eight.Corbin added a two-out, two-run single in the first. Yoshihisa Hirano, Archie Bradley and Boxberger each threw a scoreless inning, with Boxberger earning his 26th save.“It’s a really good thing if you get to hit in the first,” Corbin said.“Corbin got an 0-2 pitch right down the middle. He has to execute a little bit better there,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Stratton, who has surrendered 19 earned runs in his last three starts. “His stuff is fine. What he needs is some confidence and you just don’t see that right now.”Austin Slater drove in two runs with two singles for the Giants, who saw their four-game winning streak end.GOLD STANDARDGoldschmidt’s drive over the right field fence in the first, his 24th of the season, joined him with Luis Gonzalez as the only two Diamondbacks in club history with 200 or more home runs. It was his 95th career home run at Chase Field, matching the stadium record held by Gonzalez.Goldschmidt got the home run ball and said he’ll be keeping it.SAY JAYDiamondbacks right fielder Jon Jay reached into the seats to catch Hunter Pence’s foul ball to open the top of the second inning. Jay snagged the ball ball away from several fans with their arms up, including one with a glove.TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: LHP Andrew Chafin returned from paternity leave for Friday’s game, and the club optioned IF-OF Chris Owings to Triple-A Reno. Chafin and wife Shelbi are first-time parents of daughter Addilyn, born Wednesday. … IF Deven Marrero (oblique) played in his second rehab game for Reno on Thursday. … There is no timetable on Lovullo’s return though it could be as soon as Saturday.Giants: Posey was feeling better after the game, manager Bruce Bochy said.“He had the (concussion) test done. He got light-headed when he was on first base,” Bochy said. “We will monitor him over night. He will be off (Saturday) but if all goes well he could be in there Sunday.”UP NEXTGiants: LHP Andrew Suarez (4-6) is set to take on the Diamondbacks for the third time this season on Saturday.Diamondbacks: RHP Clay Buchholz (4-1) faces the Giants. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his nine starts this season.
