Just one strike from a perfect game, Max Scherzer saw it slip away with a misplaced slider. Or, some thought, a misplaced elbow.
Scherzer lost his bid in agonizing fashion, plunking a batter with two outs in the ninth inning before finishing off a no-hitter Saturday in the Washington Nationals’ 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A letdown? Yeah, a little.
“I mean there is, just because you’re so close, one strike away from a perfect game,” Scherzer said. “But to get a no-hitter in front of these fans, there’s nothing better.”