Tigers Stayed in Whiff City: Scherzer 20 K's

20 strikeouts for Max Scherzer. That's just amazing. There's some kid out there now that just became a lifelong Nationals fan. I say this because I knew I would be a lifetime Cubs fan after watching Kerry Wood strike out 20 Astros. 

8 different Tigers faced Scherzer wrath. Only Victor Martinez figured out Scherzer enough to not strikeout. He actually had 3 hits. 

Scherzer only threw 119 pitches. 9 innings. 20 strikeouts. 119 pitches. 96 for strikes, 23 balls. No walks. Just a masterful game. 

Scherzer becomes the 4th pitcher to throw a 20 strikeout game. The last since Randy Johnson in 2001. Juiced up Roger Clemens is the only pitcher to throw multiple 20 strikeout games with 2. 

Thursday Morning Wake Up

 

Almost Through Another Week

And a good Thursday morning to you. This blog is almost a week old, and we are having more fun than you can imagine. Thank you so much to all of the readers who work behind the scenes to make this enjoyable for us. (Hint: Comments are welcomed and appreciated!) Let's check out what happened while you were asleep and what we can look forward to tonight.

St Louis Advances, Finishes off Dallas

St Louis absolutely dominated Dallas on their own ice. After the second period, they led 5-0. Hell, this one was over after the first when the Blues were up 3-0. Dallas played groggy the entire game. One goal in the third period doesn't even help their case. It is one thing to lose in a Game 7, but a completely different one to get pants on your own home ice. St Louis will face the winner of Thursday night's Game 7 between Nashville and San Jose in the Western Conference Finals

Toronto Takes Game 5, Leads 3-2

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combined for 59 points as the Raptors take down the Heat in Game 5   No leading at any point, Miami seemed out of sync from the get go. Trailing 28-18 after the first quarter, Miami had been called for more fouls (8) than made shots (6). More bad news, Luol Deng left midway through the third quarter with a wrist injury. X-Rays were inconclusive. Game 6 sees the series headed back to Miami where it's do-or-die for the Heat. 

Golden State Advances

The Portland Trailblazers are officially done. Golden State held on for a 125-121 victory last night to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. Before the game, Steph Curry was honored as the league's MVP. However, on this night, it was another star who shined the brightest. Klay Thompson went for 33 points while shooting 13-17 from the field. He also connected on six three-pointers to lead all scorers. Golden State now awaits the winner of SA-OKC. 

Max Scherzer K's 20

20 strikeouts, are you kidding me?? That's what Max Scherzer was doing last night while you were asleep. In the first time he faced his former team, Scherzer showed us exactly why the Nats are paying him so much. He tied the nine inning record for strikeouts and now shares it with the likes of Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood, and Randy Johnson. That's pretty good company to share anything with. What might be more impressive is that of the 119 pitches he threw last night, 96 were for strikes. 

Looking toward tonight, there are two playoff matchups that you definitely should keep an eye on. The first is Game 6 between San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Spurs will look to fight off elimination with hopes of returning the series to San Antonio for a possible winner-take-all Game 7. 

The other match-up is a Game 7 in the NHL between Nashville and San Jose. The home team has won every game throughout the series, and oddsmakers are leaning toward the Sharks tonight by a large margin. Look for complete coverage of this one tonight. 

That's all for now. Check back throughout the day for updates

-Dug

@chansm1th

Stephen Strasburg's Record Deal

Cha-Ching!

As reported by Jon Heyman, Stephen Strasburg has signed an extension with the Washington Nationals. The deal is reported to be worth $175 million over 7-years. The deal is a record for any pitcher who has previously underwent Tommy John Surgery. The way the deal works out, Strasburg will be able to opt out after 3 or 4 years. It is also loaded with incentives that could make the deal worth up to $182 million.

Locking down Strasburg solidifies the Nationals' rotation for the foreseeable future. Max Scherzer still has six years left on the $210 million contract he signed in January 2015. The problem with dishing out that much money for two pitchers lies in the fact that Bryce Harper will be a free agent in just a few years. It is hard to imagine that the Nationals will be able to sign him anywhere near what he is worth. The Nationals need to begin their move now before they lose Harper. Their championship window will be closing up fast.

-Dug

@chansm1th