Scherzer breezes past Rays for 10th victory
Ace strikes out 13 in eight innings
WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer kept throwing strikes and the Tampa Bay Rays kept making outs.
It was just another efficient outing for the Washington Nationals ace, who pitched eight strong innings Tuesday in a 4-2 victory to become the first 10-game winner in the majors this season.
Scherzer (10-1) won his ninth consecutive decision, striking out 13 while throwing 81 of his 99 pitches for strikes.
“I looked up at one time and he had 86 pitches (and) 70 strikes,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “It’s absurd. Guys just don’t do that. There’s a lot of good pitchers in this league, but for a guy to just sit there and pound the strike zone the way he did and not give up hard hits, it’s just really telling about how special a pitcher he is.”
Scherzer struck out Johnny Field, Christian Arroyo and Daniel Robertson on a combined nine pitches in the sixth inning. It was the third nine pitch/three strikeout inning in Nationals history and the first since Scherzer did it against Philadelphia on May 14, 2017.
Scherzer joins Hall of Famers
Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat twice.
“I honestly didn’t know I had it ; then I walked off the field and I was like ‘Wait a second, I think that was it,’” Scherzer said.
Sean Doolittle pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 opportunities.
Scherzer, who has struck out 25 over 16 innings in his last two starts, scattered five hits to Tampa Bay and did not allow a runner past second base until pinch hitter Brad Miller’s two-out double in the eighth.
“Twenty-five out of 28 first-pitch strikes,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “That’s pretty much as good as it gets. He was awesome tonight.”
Washington first baseman Matt Adams’ solo homer to lead off the second opened the scoring. Juan Soto then singled, moved to third on Michael A. Taylor’s single and slid under Wilson Ramos’ tag when first baseman C.J. Cron threw home on Wilmer Difo’s grounder.
Soto and Difo were central to a fourth-inning rally. Two batters after Soto worked a walk, Difo tripled to right-center and made it 4-0 when he slid under Tampa Bay starter Nathan Eovaldi’s tag after a wild pitch.
Eovaldi (1-1) gave up four runs in five innings in his second start back from Tommy John surgery.