BALTIMORE — Max Scherzer wore dark shorts, a black shirt and had his baseball cap on backwards.
The Nationals’ season was going backward — or at least sideways — nearly one month ago. But thanks to Scherzer, his fellow starting pitchers and young reinforcements, Washington reached the first third of regular-season play atop the National League East division.
“Guys are getting an opportunity to step up and take advantage of it. We are seeing that right now,” Scherzer said after he pitched the Nationals to a 2-0 win over the Orioles Wednesday night for his league-high ninth victory.