Scherzer's strikeout total continues to soar (Nationals win 3-2)

PHILADELPHIA - There's still a long way to go, and who knows what could happen between now and season's end. But if Max Scherzer can keep doing what he's been doing up to this point, he's going to wind up in some elite company.

Especially in the strikeout department.

Scherzer entered tonight's game against the Phillies with a league-leading 227 strikeouts in 182 innings. And after striking out six more batters in the first three innings, he now has left himself on pace to end the regular season with 288 strikeouts.

That would establish a new career high for the Nationals right-hander, who established a new club record last season with 276 strikeouts. And it would stack up with the most dominant seasons any major league pitcher has authored in recent memory.

Only five pitchers have struck out 285 or more batters in a season since 1990, and their names read like a Who's Who of Elite Pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens.

That's the kind of company Scherzer is attempting to join.

The Nationals ace is firing on all cylinders so far tonight at Citizens Bank Park. He has retired all nine Phillies batters he's faced, striking out six of them (including five in a row at one point). Only one ball has left the infield. And he's needed only 31 pitches to get to this point, taking advantage of Philadelphia's aggressive approach at the plate.

Scherzer's teammates even have offered him an early cushion, scoring two runs in the top of the first, all of the damage coming with two outs.

Daniel Murphy got things going with an opposite-field double, his league-leading 38th of the season. Bryce Harper followed with a laser off the center field fence, bringing Murphy home on his own two-bagger. After Anthony Rendon walked, Wilson Ramos kept the rally going with a single up the middle, recording his 70th RBI in the process.

Update: Scherzer is through five innings now, and the only Phillies batter to reach so far is Cameron Rupp, who drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth. Yep, that's it so far. And Scherzer has thrown only 53 pitches to this point. That makes this the ninth time in 61 starts with the Nationals he has reached at least the sixth inning without allowing a hit. That's 15 percent of his starts with the Nats. He also has extended the lead to 3-0, thanks to his safety squeeze.

Update II: The no-hitter ended in the sixth on Freddy Galvis' one-out double to right. And then the shutout ended in the seventh on Ryan Howard's two-run homer to left-center. That was vintage 2009 Howard right there, driving a ball to the opposite field. All of a sudden, the Nationals' lead is down to 3-2. Scherzer's at 88 pitches as this game moves to the eighth.

Update III: That'll do it. Nats win 3-2, riding Scherzer's eight strong innings and a scoreless ninth from Mark Melancon. They've taken the first two games of this series and will go for the sweep tomorrow night with Gio Gonzalez on the hill.