Max Scherzer was one strike away on Saturday afternoon from becoming just the 24th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game. One strike was all he needed before an inside slider didn’t break and instead bounced of the elbow of a pinch-hitting Jose Tabata.
Tabata came off the Pirates’ bench to work a 2-2 count by fouling off five balls in an eight-pitch at-bat. Then Scherzer hit him and lost his perfect game before retiring the very next batter to secure his first no-hitter.
A no-hitter is a fantastic accomplishment and it had only been done once before in Nationals’ history.