Scherzer overtakes Kershaw as 3rd-fastest to 2,000 strikeouts

Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer reached illustrious pitching territory Sunday against the Texas Rangers as his fourth-inning strikeout of Nomar Mazara was the 2,000th strikeout of the reigning Cy Young winner's 10-year career.

Only Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson reached the double millennium mark in fewer innings than Scherzer, who did so in 1,784.

To reach the milestone, Scherzer sent Mazara a nasty slider on 1-2 count that the Rangers outfielder could only flail at.

Scherzer's feat comes just nine days after Clayton Kershaw did the same against the Milwaukee Brewers. Kershaw, however, took 1,838 innings, bumping the Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw ace down to fourth on the 2,000-strikeout pace leaderboard by innings pitched.