Max Scherzer Pitches Out of Bullpen to Strike Out Side in 8th

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In a bold move by manager Davey Martinez, the Washington Nationals turned to Max Scherzer out of bullpen in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Scherzer is slated to start Game 3 Sunday. However, he skipped his routine bullpen session Friday to throw an inning out in relief. Nursing a 4-2 lead, the Nationals opted for Scherzer in the eighth.

TBS shows Scherzer sitting in the Nats’ bullpen. Today is the day he would throw his between-starts side session – three days after a start. So he could potentially forgo that and throw an inning in relief, if the Nats need. We’ll see how it shakes out.

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) October 5, 2019

Scherzer struck out the side on 14 pitches, getting Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson each to strike out swinging.

Reliever Max Scherzer. pic.twitter.com/UnsC2DrkNF

— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2019

Love that next-game Nats starter Max Scherzer is pitching the 8th for the Nats, and whiffing the side while hitting 99 mph on gun. Love postseason baseball.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 5, 2019

Stephen Strasburg started the game and went a strong six innings allowing one run and three hits while striking out 10. Sean Doolittle relieved Strasburg in the seventh, allowing a solo home run to Max Muncy.

Scherzer got to return the favor to Strasburg, who relieved Scherzer for three innings during the NL Wild Card game that kept the Nationals in striking distance trailing by two runs at the time against the Milwaukee Brewers.