The cries of “Let’s go Nats” were replaced by “Let’s go Max” on Tuesday night at Nationals Park, where the hometown faithful came to be part of history.
With their team out of playoff contention, fans wanted to see ace pitcher Max Scherzer record a career-high 300th strikeout, and he delivered as the Nationals beat the last-place Marlins 9-4.
The milestone came in the top of the seventh as Scherzer fanned rookie Austin Dean, who had fouled off four pitches before whiffing on a slider of 85 miles-per-hour a few minutes after 9 p.m.
Scherzer (18-7) acknowledged the cheers of the fans and his teammates as he became just the second Washington pitcher to record 300 strikeouts in a season. Walter Johnson, known as The Big Train, reached that mark twice in the 1910s.
“His preparation is beyond anything I have ever seen,” manager Dave Martinez said about Scherzer.
The home finale is slated for Wednesday at 4:05 p.m. in what could be the last game for the home team at Nationals Park for outfield star Bryce Harper, who is days away from being a free agent.
But that was secondary Tuesday night as Scherzer allowed one run and five hits in seven innings in a bid to win his third Cy Young Award in a row. Scherzer struck out 10 and walked none while throwing 100 pitches.
Scherzer, 34, has fanned at least 250 batters in each of the last five years, which is one short of the record held by Randy Johnson. Even before the game, Scherzer held the Nationals single-season record for strikeouts.
It was another milestone on South Capitol Street for Mad Max, who threw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates here in 2015 and struck out a career-high 20 batters against the Detroit Tigers the following season.
Scherzer lost his bid for a no-hitter and shutout in the fourth as Miguel Rojas led off with a single and scored on a two-out double by Brian Anderson to trim the margin to 3-1.
Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (3-for-3, four RBIs) hit a three-run homer in the first as Washington took a 3-0 lead against Marlins starter and loser Jeff Brigham (0-4), making his fourth big league start.
Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman (two-run single), Matt Wieters and Adam Eaton (two-run single) had RBI hits in the seventh for a bulge of 9-1. Peter O’Brien of the Marlins hit a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 9-3.
Rendon has an 11-game hitting streak and has reached base in 33 games in a row, the longest active streak in the majors. The Houston native has 24 homers and 91 RBI even though he missed 14 games this spring with a toe contusion. In the last 11 games, he has five homers.
“What he is doing is unbelievable,” Martinez said. “It is pretty impressive.”
Rendon’s blast to left scored Adam Eaton and Harper, each of whom walked. Harper (1-for-1, three walks) leads the league in walks with 129.
Martinez announced before the game that rookie pitcher Kyle McGowin will make his first big league start Wednesday against the Marlins in the last home of the season.
McGowin will take the spot of veteran right-hander Tanner Roark, who has been with his family in Georgia after the birth of his third child last week. “I am really excited he will get an opportunity to start tomorrow and see what he can do,” Martinez said of McGowin.
McGowin led the minors in WHIP this year as a starter, pitching mostly at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He has pitched out of the bullpen three times for the Nationals this month with mixed success.
NOTES: It was College Day for Howard University on Tuesday night … In a vote by local media, Harper was named the Nationals Player of the Year, Scherzer was named Pitcher of the Year and closer Sean Doolittle was given the Good Guy Award … The Marlins bullpen entered the game with an ERA of 5.33, the worst mark in the league. Washington (3.92, seventh) and Miami relievers had each allowed 75 homers before Nats reliever Austen Williams gave up a longball Tuesday.
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