“I’ve heard enough people say it,” the St. Louis-area native said Tuesday in the Nationals’ clubhouse. “That’s not what motivates me. If I’m worried about that, I feel like my head is in the wrong spot, and my motivation is in the wrong spot. That all takes care of itself , and that’s after your career.
In his previous start, Scherzer collected the 2,500th strikeout of his career to become the 35th pitcher in baseball history with that many and the third active pitcher, trailing only C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander. With 2,503 strikeouts in 344 games, Scherzer got to 2,500 swifter than any pitcher other than Nolan Ryan (338) and Randy Johnson (313), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.