This season the Washington Nationals were supposed to run away with the National League East on the backs of their outrageous (on paper) starting rotation. Thus far that hasn't happened. The Nats currently find themselves tied for first with the Mets with a way too average 36-33 record. And while their starting rotation was supposed to lead to a division title that was to be decided by the All-Star Break, they've all been fairly disappointing. That is everyone in the mix, except for offseason pickup Max Scherzer.
Scherzer has (thus far) justified his unjustifiable seven-year/$210 million dollar contract by leading all of baseball in WHIP (0.88 entering today), strikeouts (123), and ERA (1.76). Today he pitched a masterpiece that he'll almost certainly never top. It would've been impossible to top had he gotten the 27th and final out. "Perfection" is, by definition, unable to be beaten. But instead pinch-hitter Jose Tabata became the first Bucs batter to reach after he leaned into a 2-2 Scherzer pitch to bust up what would've been the 24th perfect game in 135+ years of Major League Baseball.
The next hitter (Josh Harrison) flew out to deep left to give Scherzer a no-hitter. But there's been 289 of those so, you know, who even cares?
Here's the lean-in that is sure to open up yet another discussion about baseball's "unwritten rules":
Oh well, at least he's not Armando Galarraga.
[via my own eyes/Vine]
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