Max Scherzer took a hard liner off his leg in the top of the fourth inning in yesterday’s game against the Phillies. Per Statcast, it was a 100 mph shot. He immediately fell to the ground, and took about four minutes to recover and test his pitches.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker came out, and Scherzer stayed in the game. It looked like a classic Dusty Baker managing move, but Scherzer looked fine when he ran to back up a play later in the fourth inning.
Scherzer was still in the game in the fifth inning, where he accomplished a baseball feat: He struck out the Phillies’ Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera, and Aaron Altherr on nine total pitches, becoming the 79th pitcher in history to complete an immaculate inning.
It was the third immaculate inning this season. The Reds’ Drew Storen struck out the side on nine pitches in April, while Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox did the same last Thursday. The record for most in a season in seven in 2014. Almost halfway there!