Scherzer finally passes 200-inning plateau

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer has approached 200 innings pitched in a season for the last three years, but it wasn't until he threw seven innings in Sunday's game that he was able to push past the plateau in 2013.

"That's a big milestone for me," Scherzer said. "I've always come up short."

Scherzer battled shoulder soreness at the end of last season, and had a couple of starts pushed back to regain his health, finishing with 187 2/3 innings. In 2010, he finished 4 1/3 innings short after a rainout cost him an outing to end the year.

This season, Scherzer has thrown 201 1/3 innings, going at least six innings in all but four of his 30 starts.

"To be able to get 200 innings is an important plateau, because that's just a sign of a pitcher pitching deep into a game and giving your team a chance to win," Scherzer said. "That's something I haven't necessarily accomplished with the 200 innings, but obviously this year I've pitched well and deep into games."

Scherzer reached 1,000 career innings pitched on Sunday and did so with 71 wins and 1,045 strikeouts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other pitcher in Major League history who had as many wins and strikeouts as Scherzer through his first 1,000 innings was Pedro Martinez (71 wins and 1,075 strikeouts).