Don’t tell Max Scherzer that the Nationals are out of the playoff hunt.
In a showdown of Cy Young Award candidates, the Nationals ace took a no-hitter into the fifth inning on a windy, sunny Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera hit a two-run homer to right field off Scherzer in the seventh to spearhead a 2-0 victory, salvaging the finale of the three-game set. It was the 12th time this year the Nationals had been blanked, the second-most of any National League team.