The Washington Nationals look to continue their dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday as the National League East rivals conclude their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
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This is what it has come to, what Max Scherzer has done to our longstanding sense of baseball and how typically not to get too excited too soon about the possibility of history. He lasted just five innings in each of his next three starts, and heading into this game against the Nationals was 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA.
None of those streaks ended tonight, as the Nationals swept the three-game set with a 2-1 win in which Morgan took the loss and Gonzalez got the curly-W, improving to (W, 10-9) on the year. Nats starter picked up the win with seven scoreless frames. Nationals closer Mark Melancon successfully recorded his 37th save of the season in the ninth, which is third-best in the National League trailing only Jeurys Familia (42) and Kenley Jansen (39) of the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively.
“It would be fine if people don’t notice because maybe he can surprise some people”, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
Outings like that, as for most pitchers, are made by the four days in between starts, which Scherzer approaches with uncommon precision. On Tuesday, they combined for his 15th win. “In the first inning it was more of the same”.
Lorenzo Cain, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon drove in runs off Michael Pineda (6-11) during a five-hit salvo in the first inning.
This isn’t great baseball the Phillies are playing, but bad baseball is infinitely better than no baseball.
Morgan credited veteran catcher A.J. Ellis for helping him simplify the game plan.
“It actually wasn’t too hard”, Thompson said. “But about the fourth or fifth, the way he was dealing and his pitch count was low, right away I’m sure everybody on the team was thinking it because they’ve seen it before”. Even after he walked Cameron Rupp to end his chance at a flawless game in the fifth, he had thrown just 53.
“I’m proud of these guys because that’s a tough stretch”, Baker said. Ramos battled back before eventually lining a 3-2 pitch into right field to score Rendon and end the night for Morgan.
BOSTON – Rick Porcello became the majors’ first 18-game victor and the first Boston pitcher in 70 years to open a season 13-0 in Fenway Park, going seven solid innings in the Red Sox win over Tampa Bay. On Tuesday, Galvis did the exact same thing – “a thorn in my side”, Scherzer said.
Tanner Roark threw seven impressive innings, Jayson Werth hit a solo homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 on Monday night.
In today’s Nationals-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: The Nats lead the majors in run scored with 115. since August 10th. “That was a big game for him”. “It’s just a lot of fun to play behind”.
Few pitchers obsess and examine and compete like Scherzer, who insists on the same substantial roast beef sandwich every time he pitches and rejects high-fives during starts.
The Washington ace also had a sacrifice-bunt RBI in the fourth after Ryan Zimmerman walked and Danny Espinosa ripped a single.
Able to get deep into games?
That last strikeout – a change-up on his 110th pitch that froze Trea Turner at the knees for a called third strike – was not greeted by an external fist pump. He used that cutter, which bores in on left-handers with a velocity around 90 miles per hour, to get swings and misses. “It feels a lot better”. I’m real pleased with that, and that’s just what he needed.
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He finished the eighth inning with a strikeout, a fist pump and a hop off the mound, stalking to the dugout with the intensity he is known for.
