Legendary right-hander Justin Verlander from San Francisco joins the exclusive 3500 strikeout club.

As he began the game today, legendary right-hander Justin Verlander of the San Francisco Giants was only three strikeouts shy of becoming the 10th pitcher in MLB history to achieve 3500 career strikeouts.

At 42 years old, he didn’t keep everyone waiting long; in the final game of the series against the Nationals, he struck out three batters in the first inning, thus joining the 3500K club.

Verlander recorded the first out of the inning with a 95.3 mph fastball that made James Wood swing and miss, followed by a low slider inside that struck out CJ Abrams. Although he allowed hits to Josh Bell and Paul DeJong after two outs, he managed to keep both runners on base and ended the inning with another 95.2 mph fastball that made Nathaniel Lowe swing and miss.

To celebrate Verlander's rare achievement, the Giants displayed a congratulatory message on the scoreboard at Oracle Park, and the three-time Cy Young Award winner received a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the field. Verlander tipped his cap to the fans and received further applause from his teammates upon returning to the dugout.

Verlander currently ranks 10th on the all-time strikeout list, trailing only nine other members of the 3500 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan (5714), Randy Johnson (4875), Roger Clemens (4672), Steve Carlton (4136), Bert Blyleven (3701), Tom Seaver (3640), Don Sutton (3574), Gaylord Perry (3534), and Walter Johnson (3509).