So-so game at home for Nationals’ Scherzer, Harper

WASHINGTON » For Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper and any Nationals Park regulars in attendance, this home All-Star Game probably felt rather familiar. A lot of hype, some so-so performances and, at times, a nearly silent ballpark.

Washington righty Scherzer became the first reigning Cy Young Award winner to start a Midsummer Classic at home, and delighted the fans singing his name with four strikeouts in two innings for the NL on Tuesday night — but also gave up a homer to Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

Harper’s encore to his Home Run Derby triumph was to go 0 for 2, striking out in both of his at-bats for the NL — once looking, once swinging.

And while his theatrics a night earlier got the Washington crowd roaring during the slugging contest, the place was quiet as can be for stretches of the game.

Sort of the way things have been at times in 2018 for the Nationals, who were coming off two consecutive NL East titles and were a popular pick to make it three in a row. Instead, it’s been a real struggle for Washington.

The club entered the break with only a 48-48 record, putting it third in the division, 5½ games in back of the Phillies and also behind the Atlanta Braves.

The Nationals have dealt with all sorts of injuries — rookie manager Dave Martinez said he hopes Stephen Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman and Sean Doolittle all will come off the disabled list Friday — but they’ve also underperformed as a whole.

The evening began promisingly enough for Scherzer, whose three Cy Youngs include the past two in the NL.

“From the on-deck circle, looking at him,” said Boston DH J.D. Martinez, who singled in the first, “you were like, ‘Dude, he’s pumping it right now.’” With a likeness of the righty hovering over the second deck beyond right field — accurate down to the blue right eye and brown left — Scherzer began the evening by getting Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts looking at an 87 mph cutter. Next came Astros outfielder Jose Altuve, who swung through a 98 mph fastball.

Spectators shouted, “Let’s go, Scherzer!” at one point and “Let’s go, Max!” at another.

“To have the crowd just going nuts and chanting — I mean, that’s what you dream of,” Scherzer said on the Fox TV broadcast. “That’s something I’ll never forget.”

After each K, Scherzer stomped around the infield grass, showing the same intensity he does when the games count in the standings. When he got Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez to pop up to end the first inning, Scherzer stalked off the mound right to the dugout, without pausing for a second or looking just to check and make sure it was caught by Cubs second baseman Javier Baez.

“You’ve just got to swing the bat,” Altuve said, holding his hands together, “and pray that you get a hit.”

Whether or not he sought divine intervention, Judge led off the second inning by connecting with an 0-1 fastball.