The Washington Nationals just won an absolute thriller in a 2-1 game behind a Scherzer 14K gem with no earned runs in a playoff atmosphere. The bullpen was nails with an Oliver Perez perfect 8th inning, and capped off by a Koda Glover save which ended with some words and shoves as Glover and Yasiel Puig were yelling at each other after Glover struck out Puig on a 3-2 count on a nasty slider to end the game.
“Sit down and go back to the f***ing dugout,” is believed to be what Koda Glover said to Yasiel Puig.
Both of the Washington Nationals runs in the game came on sacrifice flies to manufacture runs. It felt like playoff baseball from the 1950’s. Small ball with some stolen bases and some productive outs coupled with great pitching. The game started off with an infield hit by Trea Turner and two stolen bases to set up the first run of the game as Bryce Harper delivered a sacrifice fly to make the game 1-0.
“Forgetting Trea Turner was on 1st and [then] 2nd [base], and he’s going to steal at will, and not doing all I should do to hold him,” Dodgers’ starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy said. “Good chance he’s going to go anyway, but I’ve got to do all I can to increase the odds in our favor, and I didn’t do any of those. You have to vary the looks. The one at 2nd [base] I didn’t vary the look, just handed it to him. Should have told him just to go to 3rd [base].”
Once again, Dusty Baker exploited the line-up strategy of the Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts. With Roberts stacking 5 lefty bats at the top of the order which included one switch-hitter, Dusty Baker was able to insert Oliver Perez for the 8th inning to face lefty Corey Seager, switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal and left-handed Adrian Gonzalez. Perez struck out Seager and Gonzalez and got Grandal on a popup. Koda Glover faced the lefty Cody Bellinger to lead-off the 9th and got him to popup. Glover then surrendered a single to righty Chris Taylor and then got righty Logan Forsythe to flyout and finished off Puig to end the game on the dramatic strikeout.
The Nationals bullpen is now unscored upon in 10 out of their last 13 games. The team is getting it done to secure wins for their starting pitchers.
The game started off with a Chase Utley single and a Daniel Murphy error followed by an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single. That was really all the offense the Dodgers could muster as great pitching stymied great hitting.
The Nationals improved to 37-20 with this win going 17 games over .500 for their best margin of the season and securing the series win with the first 2 wins in this three game Dodgers series in Los Angeles. The road trip record now stands at 7-1 with the finale to the road trip tomorrow featuring a match-up between Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg.
“[Max] was great, and it was a great game to watch,” Dusty Baker said about Max Scherzer. “You know whoever is pitching against him is going to pitch his best game. Max was outstanding and hopefully we get the same out of Stras tomorrow.”
Max whiffs.https://t.co/zr9Pw7r2e9 pic.twitter.com/htyShirYH3
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) June 7, 2017
Rookie sensation Cody Bellinger had one word to describe Max Scherzer—“Disgusting”, and that is quite the compliment to Scherzer. His manager Dave Roberts was shaking his head describing what he witnessed.
“Obviously Scherzer’s on a nice run now,” Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts said. “And when he’s against us he’s going to bring his best and he did tonight. This guy can [get a strike] on any pitch that he throws. Getting ahead of guys and when he does get ahead, he can wipe you out. It was tough sledding tonight.”
