Field Level Media
Jun 14, 2019
Max Scherzer allowed two solo homers in seven innings and struck out 10 as the host Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3 on Friday.
Scherzer (5-5) gave up three hits and had at least 10 strikeouts for the 87th time in his career. He passed Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Warren Spahn for 27th on the all-time strikeout list with 2,585.
Tanner Rainey came on in the eighth for the Nationals to get the last out and keep the lead at 7-3 after Arizona scored one off Wander Suero. Closer Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless ninth for Washington.
Originally drafted by Arizona in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft, Scherzer (with 104 pitches) threw at least 100 pitches for the 13th time in 15 starts this season.
He was backed by the hot-hitting duo of Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick, who are being touted as All-Star picks by Washington fans. The first five Nationals batters in the starting lineup each had at least one RBI.
Rendon led off the sixth with a solo homer, his 15th of the season, to give Washington a 4-2 lead. Two batters later, Kendrick went deep for his 12th homer of the season for a 5-2 bulge. Kendrick's season homer total is the most since he hit 13 in 2013 with the Los Angeles Angels.
Former Nationals minor leaguer Robbie Ray (5-4) started for the D-backs and allowed five runs on five hits in six innings, striking out five with one walk. Trea Turner had an RBI double, Victor Robles drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Juan Soto had an RBI single in a three-run third as Washington took a 3-1 lead.
It was the 100th career game for Robles, who had an RBI single in the seventh that gave the Nationals a 6-2 lead. Rendon had a sacrifice fly to make it 7-2, then Arizona's Eduardo Escobar had an RBI double in the eighth to trim the lead to 7-3 off Suero.
Carson Kelly hit a solo homer off Scherzer in the third and Nick Ahmed went deep in the fifth.
--Field Level Media