In the battle of the 3000K club members, Kershaw triumphed over Scherzer in a legendary matchup.

However, on that day, the two Hall of Famers were replaced by two unproven rookies: 24-year-old Max Scherzer and 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw, who took the mound as the starting pitchers.

Seventeen years later, they met again on the mound at Dodger Stadium during the first game of a series between the Blue Jays and the Dodgers. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, they became the first pair in Major League history to start against each other as rookies and later both accumulate 3000 career strikeouts, with both milestones achieved at Dodger Stadium—Scherzer in 2021 and Kershaw last month.

“Looking back at that game, we’ve been competing against each other ever since,” Scherzer said after the Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays 5-1. “It’s a cool little milestone moment to meet here again and face off.”

“I think it’s really cool that Scherzer got to 3000K before I did,” Kershaw said. “I’ve been a teammate of his and have competed against him for almost my entire career. I think it’s really neat that we could both do this in our first year; I don’t know if this will be our last year, but it’s definitely towards the end of our careers.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, one day they will become the third pair of rookie starting pitchers to face each other and eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the first since 1890. That year featured matchups between Kid Nichols and Cy Young, as well as Nichols against Jesse Burkett, who later became an outfielder.

Baseball may never see such a special pitching duel again.

“It’s going to be tough,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before the game. “I feel like pitchers are getting pulled earlier and earlier. Unless that changes, it’s going to be hard to accumulate the innings, wins, strikeouts, and accolades like those two have.”

Today, both Scherzer and Kershaw pitched six solid innings, with Mookie Betts hitting a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth, giving Kershaw a chance for the win. Kershaw and Scherzer now both have 218 career victories, trailing only Justin Verlander’s 263 among active pitchers.

Scherzer recorded five strikeouts but allowed six hits and three walks. Kershaw struck out four and faced his share of baserunners, but his teammates helped him turn three double plays, limiting the damage to one run; he gave up seven hits and issued one walk.

Scherzer expressed excitement about this start, but it was mainly because he knew he had to face the Dodgers' lineup and make every pitch count. With Kershaw on the opposing mound, Scherzer understood he had little room for error.

“You know it’s going to be a battle,” he said. “You know the scoring is going to be low, or you won’t get many runs off him. You have to be absolutely precise.”

And for the most part, Scherzer was indeed precise. He led all pitchers with 11 swings and misses (Kershaw had 10), and he increased the velocity on all five of his pitches today. The Dodgers had seven swings and misses on Scherzer’s slider, but that was also the pitch Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts used in the fifth inning to hit a ground-rule double and a go-ahead two-run homer, respectively.

Both Kershaw and Scherzer are in their 18th Major League season, pitching crucial games for their division-leading teams. Their careers, along with Justin Verlander's, have been closely intertwined over the years. Kershaw quickly pointed out that Scherzer is "much older" than him—specifically, four years—while Verlander is even older than both of them. But from what he saw of Scherzer's performance, there were no signs of aging.

“Scherzer is throwing the ball incredibly well,” Kershaw said. “He was hitting 96 mph tonight. He doesn’t look old at all.”

This respect is mutual.

“He’s had such a great career, and to be his teammate—he’s also a great teammate,” Scherzer said of Kershaw. “I have the utmost respect for everything he does, both on and off the field.”

This marked the fifth meeting between the three-time Cy Young Award winners, who have each defined the pitching dominance of this era of baseball in their own way.

“I think they are baseball players first,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think they see the game better and differently than most people do… I think they are both very focused, but I think Max has a bit more of an outward presence. Whether it’s in the bullpen, during the game, or interacting with his coaches and teammates. I remember not even being able to pat him on the back during a game. So that’s a very focused display. But Kershaw—he’s focused too, just not as outwardly as Max.”

Schneider isn’t as familiar with Kershaw, but he sees similarities in how both pitchers prepare and approach their outings.

“I know what Max is like before and during the game, and that in itself is unique,” he said. “But I know from watching the two of them on the mound that I would say they are very similar in how they compete.”

Schneider, as a fan, looked forward to this matchup. From the efficiency with which both pitch when they take the mound to their different pitching styles at this stage of their careers, Schneider made sure to appreciate it all fully.

“It’s fun,” he said. “... When you have two pitchers with 3000K in their careers, I’ll probably keep this starting lineup in my office.”