PHILADELPHIA -- Max Scherzer is a student of the game, and he had a chance to make history during a 5-2 victory over the Phillies on Friday night.
Six days after pitching a no-hitter against the Pirates, Scherzer retired the first 16 batters he faced. He had a chance to join Johnny Vander Meer as the only pitchers to throw consecutive no-hitters.
Sixteen Phillies up, sixteen down. With each batter retired, the tension grew, all out of proportion to a just middle-of-the-season contest between teams at opposite ends of the National League East spectrum, even more than normal when a pitcher has a no-hitter going in the sixth inning.