The Sports Xchange
May 26, 2017
WASHINGTON -- Max Scherzer gave up one run and three hits in 8 2/3 innings and Trea Turner and Bryce Harper hit long homers as the Washington Nationals beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 on Friday night.
Scherzer (5-3) had a season-high 13 strikeouts. He fanned at least 10 batters for the fourth time this year and 53rd time of his career.
The Missouri native got a nice ovation when he came to bat with two outs and none on in the last of the eighth, and no one seemed to care when he struck out on three pitches.
The 2016 Cy Young Award winner then fanned Wil Myers for the second out in the ninth with two runners on before Koda Glover got the last out with the bases loaded for the save as pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe was retired on strikes.
Turner hit a leadoff homer in the first and Harper crushed a two-run shot in the seventh off reliever Kirby Yates to give the Nationals a 5-1 lead. Washington paces the National League in homers with 73.
The losing pitcher was San Diego starter Luis Perdomo (0-2), who gave up three runs and six hits (including two homers) with six strikeouts.
Matt Wieters was 2-for-4 for the Nationals, who also lead the league in team batting average and runs.
Turner, a former Padres minor leaguer, led off the last of the first with a long homer to center to make it 1-0. It was the first leadoff homer for the Nationals this year and the third career leadoff homer for Turner, who made his major league debut in June 2016.
San Diego tied the score with its own solo homer, as Ryan Schimpf lined a shot down the right field line off Scherzer to make it 1-1 in the fourth. It was the 12th homer of the year for the San Diego third baseman, who entered the game with a .163 average and just nine singles.
Michael A. Taylor, who has hit safely in 11 of the last 13 games, smashed a two-run homer to center to give the Nationals a 3-1 lead in the last of the fourth.
Scherzer fanned the side in the third inning on just 10 pitches.
NOTES: The Nationals acquired OF Ryan Raburn, 36, for cash or a player to be named in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. He has big league experience and had been with Triple-A Charlotte. He will report to Triple-A Syracuse. ... Washington manager Dusty Baker missed the first of three weekend games in order to attend the high school graduation of his son, Darren, in California. Bench coach Chris Speier filled in for Baker. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (5-1, 3.28 ERA), a former San Diego State star, will face Padres LHP Clayton Richard (3-5, 4.31) on Saturday. ... The Nationals have not been involved in a shutout this year. Washington has held opponents to one run six times, including its last three wins.