WASHINGTON, D.C. — Max Scherzer wasn’t perfect Saturday, but he was damn close. The Washington Nationals ace plunked pinch-hitter Jose Tabata with an full-count slider with two outs in the ninth, ending his bid for a perfect game, but secured his first no-hitter by getting Josh Harrison to fly out.
The Nationals defeated the Pirates, 5-0, before a sellout crowd at Nationals Park.
Scherzer struck out 10 hitters and turned in his second consecutive complete-game shutout. He is the first pitcher to no-hit the Pirates since Cincinnati Reds hurler Homer Bailey in 2012.
In his previous start, Scherzer, who signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals in January, struck out 16 hitters over nine scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.