This is not to say that Max Scherzer just clinched the championship for the Mets by thoroughly dominating them and throwing a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts.
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Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer (31) pitches against the New York Mets in the first inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader, Saturday, October 3, 2015, in New York.
He no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates in June.
Scherzer is the first pitcher to throw two no-hitters in the same year since Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay threw a flawless game during the 2010 season and a no-hitter in the National League Division Series. “I know what’s at stake and I want it”. “That’s why I’m speechless”. At one point, he struck out 9 batters in a row.
Harper said he hoped to play in the second game, but wasn’t listed in the starting lineup. “We’re playing Friday. I don’t care where it’s at”. He got to a three-ball count just twice. “There were a lot of times he called a few pitches I wasn’t sure about”. “‘Here we go. Let’s go”. He battles through injuries.
“Nothing but the utmost respect for him”.
For the Mets, they have just one game left to swing the bats well before four days off heading into the Division Series, which opens on Friday against the Dodgers.
The Nationals beat the Mets, 2-0, for their second win of the day in Citi Field. Adam Duvall hit his fifth homer and Aroldis Chapman got four outs for his 33rd save, ending Cincinnati’s longest losing streak in 70 years. “It’s on, ‘” Scherzer said, recreating his inner dialogue for MASN’s Dan Kolko. “There’s no doubt about that”, Scherzer said. “And of course as a pitcher you have a bounce in your step”. You always reflect on how you can be better.
“There are ways I can be a better pitcher”.
If that alone isn’t enough, all it takes it looking at the performances of the Dodgers two most important players, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, at home and on the road to determine that the Mets would much rather be at home. He made all the pitches he had to make. I gave up a bunch of home runs there in the second half.
Scherzer knew he had a “real shot” at the feat after completing seven hitless innings.
“We’re all very privileged to have witnessed it tonight”, Nationals manager Matt Williams said.
Cespedes and Duda pinch-hit to begin the ninth. Curtis Granderson’s soft popup to Escobar finished it.
Scherzer’s 17 strikeouts fell one shy of the Nationals/Expos record for a game, which was established by Bill Gullickson on September 10, 1980, with Montreal against the Chicago Cubs. If you can get through seven, then you can really empty the tanks in the eighth. Alex Colome (8-5) worked the ninth to get the win. Matt Harvey and Scherzer (W, 14-12) were up to the task, with both hurlers dealing throughout the night.
Come the sixth or seventh inning, it certainly looked like Scherzer was going to throw a no-hitter.
The first run for the Nationals came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ramos, scoring Michael Taylor.
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“You’re in synch with your mechanics, in synch with the catcher and in synch with what you want to do”. Should the Yankees and the Astros end up tied, Houston holds the tiebreaker and the game would be played at Minute Maid Park. Despite his impressive individual campaign, Scherzer admitted that the joy of his personal accolades is slightly dampened by the larger context of Washington’s overall season. “There was a huge beer shower in the clubhouse”. “I’m having too much fun”.
