Stats of the Day: 300-K mark for Kershaw
Here are six interesting items from the big leagues this weekend …
• In Sunday's 6-3 win over the Padres, Clayton Kershaw struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced and finished the year at 301 strikeouts. Kershaw is the first pitcher since 2002 to fan at least 300 (that year both Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did it), and it's the 34th time a pitcher since 1893 has reached the milestone. Of the other 33, a Dodgers pitcher appears three times: Sandy Koufax in 1963, '65 and '66. Kershaw concluded the season striking out 33.8 percent of the batters he faced. That percentage stands as the fourth highest among the members of the 300-strikeout family. Pedro Martinez struck out 37.5 percent in 1999, and in 2001, Randy Johnson ended his season a 37.4 percent. In 2000, Johnson wound up at 34.7 percent.
• On Friday, Jake Arrieta concluded his regular season with six innings, two hits, no runs or walks, seven strikeouts and a win in a 6-1 Cubs victory over the Brewers. Arrieta's 22 wins led the Majors and were the most in a season for a Cubs hurler since Fergie Jenkins won 24 in 1971. Arrieta's 1.77 ERA, second in the National League, was the lowest for a Cubs qualifier since Pete Alexander posted a 1.72 in 1919.
Video: CHC@MIL: Arrieta goes six scoreless to earn 22nd win
• On Saturday, Zack Greinke allowed a run, four hits and a walk, fanned eight, and picked up his 19th win as the Dodgers defeated the Padres, 2-1. Greinke finished the year with a 1.66 ERA. The mark is the lowest in the Majors since Greg Maddux posted a 1.63 in 1995 and the fourth-lowest ERA for any pitcher since 1969. Maddux also compiled a 1.56 ERA in '94 and Dwight Gooden had a 1.53 mark in 1985. Greinke's 1.66 ERA represents the second-lowest ERA for any Dodgers pitcher since 1893, with only Rube Marquard's 1.58 in 1916 coming in lower.
• In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader between the Nationals and Mets, Max Scherzer threw his second no-hitter of the season -- an extraordinarily dominant performance that saw him fan 17 and miss a perfect game because of a fielding error -- in a 2-0 win. Scherzer is the sixth pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in a season, joining the Reds' Johnny Vander Meer in 1938, the Yankees' Allie Reynolds in 1951, the Tigers' Virgil Trucks in 1952, the Angels' Nolan Ryan in 1973 and the Phillies' Roy Halladay in 2010 (a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in the NL Division Series). Scherzer is the 33rd pitcher (counting Halladay) to have multiple no-hitters in a career. Among them, he is one of five active pitchers, joining Homer Bailey, Mark Buehrle, Tim Lincecum and Justin Verlander. Scherzer's 17 strikeouts tied Ryan on July 15, 1973, for the most in a no-hitter.
Video: Must C Classic: Scherzer's second no-hitter of 2015
• In the Angels' 9-2 loss to the Rangers on Sunday, Albert Pujols hit his 40th home run of the year to mark his first 40-homer season since socking 42 in 2010. Pujols owns seven seasons with at least 40 home runs, tied for the sixth most all time. Babe Ruth leads with 11, and is followed by Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, each with eight. At seven, Pujols joins Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa.
• Miami's Dee Gordon went 3-for-4 on Sunday and claimed the NL batting crown, hitting .333 on the season. Although the second baseman didn't add any stolen bases to his line on Sunday, Gordon led the NL in that category as well, swiping 58. With the effort, Gordon became the first player to lead the NL in batting and steals in the same season since second baseman Jackie Robinson hit .342 with 37 steals in 1949. Gordon is the second player in as many years to lead his league in average and steals, following another second baseman -- the Astros' Jose Altuve, who paced the American League at .341 and 56 in 2014.