PHILADELPHIA — His name has stood the test of time, known to hardcore baseball aficionados and even a fair share of casual fans if only for the remarkable feat he accomplished 77 long years ago, a feat that has stood intact ever since and rarely has even been threatened.
There’s a reason Johnny Vander Meer is etched into baseball lore, because what he did in the summer of 1938 for the Cincinnati Reds — pitch back-to-back no-hitters — is really, really, really, really hard to do.
But boy did Max Scherzer give it his best effort Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.