Scherzer dominates to lead Washington to sweep
Willie Mays visited the Nationals’ clubhouse before Wednesday’s game, a guest of manager Dusty Baker, who introduced the legendary center fielder to several of his players.
Everyone was eager to hang out with the Say Hey Kid, including Max Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman, the two men most responsible for Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over the Giants, who were swept by the Nationals for the first time at home since May 2003, when they were the Expos.
Baker informed Mays that Scherzer doesn’t generally speak with anyone before his starts, but the pitcher made an exception, which was understandable considering the company.
Mays suggested they share a hot dog and talk, which cracked up the room.
Scherzer laughed and actually had a hot dog sent to Mays but couldn’t talk long. He had to prepare to face the Giants’ lineup, which he mostly dominated. He struck out 11, walked none and permitted five hits.
“They’re kind of shy, like little kids, when they see a legend like Willie Mays,” said Baker, the Giants’ manager from 1993 through 2002. “I feel very fortunate to have been around him for quite a few years.”
It was Scherzer’s 54th career double-digit strikeout game, most among active pitchers, and
fifth this season. It was his seventh career complete game, first in 2017. He threw 100 pitches, the same number Jeff Samardzija needed in four innings Tuesday.
Scherzer retired his first 10 batters and yielded a run in the fourth inning only because outfielders Jayson Werth and Michael A. Taylor permitted a lazy flyball to fall between them.
It was Buster Posey’s, and it should have been the final out of the inning. Eduardo Nuñez, the first man to get a hit off Scherzer, scored from first base. Posey got the RBI, and he’ll take it. It was his 13th.
“We got a break with that one run or else we probably would have gotten shut out,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s been throwing the ball really well. Still, we’ve got to get this offense going.
“It’s not going to happen until we get our core guys getting their numbers where they’re supposed to be. We still believe that’s going to happen.”
Zimmerman’s contribution was a three-run homer in the first inning, a huge blow for the Giants — who entered averaging 3.35 runs per game, fewest in the majors — especially with the reigning Cy Young Award winner on the mound.
Joe Panik hit a one-out double in the fifth, Brandon Belt a two-out double in the sixth and Kelby Tomlinson a one-out single in the eighth.
“We’ve got to pick this thing up offensively,” Belt said. “The pitchers have done a great job . ... The hitters we’ve got on this team, we can do it. We can do it starting next game.”
The game opened in unusual fashion, with speedy Trea Turner hitting Matt Cain’s first pitch and reaching on a fielding error by Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford.
With Turner taking off for second and Crawford rushing to cover the bag, Daniel Murphy hit a grounder past Crawford. Zimmerman sent the next pitch, a curve, over the left-field wall.
Cain lasted five innings and 94 pitches, surrendering eight hits. George Kontos pitched two innings, and Hunter Strickland pitched the eighth, his first appearance since getting suspended six games for his part in Monday’s brawl.
“We’re all here to play ball,” he said. “I think all that’s behind us.”
After the game, Strickland met in Bochy’s office with the manager and team executives. He told reporters he hadn’t heard the result of his appeal of the suspension and will be on Thursday’s flight to Philadelphia.
Washington’s Bryce Harper, who had his suspension reduced from four to three games, began his suspension Wednesday.