Blue Jays' Max Scherzer tosses a gem, breaks 125 year old MLB record on 41st birthday

Having the best record in baseball (63-43) allows you to look on the bright side sometimes, and Scherzer's best performance in a Blue Jays uniform can only leave the organization more optimistic about what the stretch run and October can look like. Besides, that's all that matters now.

Detroit is where it all really started for Scherzer, who celebrated his 41st birthday Sunday.

Traded to the Tigers after pitching his first two seasons for the D-backs, Scherzer grew into a star in this city and won his first AL Cy Young Award here in 2013.

Scherzer's kids, who were with him in Detroit this weekend, weren't even born when their dad was doing all of that.

Scherzer struck out a season-high 11 batters over seven innings while all three runs against him came on a big swing from Gleyber Torres in the third.

In fact, that homer scored the only baserunners Scherzer allowed. He hammered through the Tigers with a fastball that averaged 94.1 mph, an extremely encouraging number for Scherzer, and his slider can still turn hitters inside-out.

And with his 11 strikeouts, he set a Major League record by being the oldest pitcher since 1900 to have 10 or more K's, breaking the mark set by Randy Johnson in 2000 when he was 37.

The Blue Jays lost for the first time in five games and for only the second time in their last 10.

Scherzer isn't just part of the ride. He can still be a headliner for the team that's suddenly one of the best stories in baseball.