Seventy-five pitches. Just eight outs. Max Scherzer’s return to the mound where he built much of his Hall of Fame case rarely looked comfortable. Nationals Park still gave him a welcome usually reserved for a home player.
Washington fans rose before Scherzer threw his first pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays. Two innings later, they stood again as he left during the third. Between those ovations, Scherzer allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four across two and two thirds innings. Toronto’s bullpen protected the lead in a 3-2 victory.
The appearance marked Scherzer’s 100th career start at Nationals Park and his first there since leaving Washington in 2021. It also arrived on his 42nd birthday and in his first major league outing since June 10. Scherzer’s final line looked nothing like the Mad Max who once terrorised hitters in Washington. For the crowd, his box score felt secondary.
Washington rose before Scherzer threw a pitch
The applause began as Scherzer walked toward the mound in Toronto colors. He removed his cap, turned toward the stands and acknowledged a crowd that had watched him lead one of the greatest periods in franchise history. This reception involved more than ordinary respect for a former player.
Scherzer spent more than six seasons with Washington from 2015 through 2021. During that run, he won consecutive National League Cy Young Awards in 2016 and 2017 before helping carry the Nationals through their 2019 World Series triumph.
His greatest Washington starts remain vivid in the memory of the fan base. In 2015, Scherzer threw two no hitters during his first season with the club. A year later, he tied the major league record by striking out 20 Detroit hitters. Then in 2019, he pitched seven scoreless innings and recorded 10 strikeouts against Philadelphia one day after a bunting accident broke his nose and left a dark bruise around his right eye.
Those performances explain why Nationals supporters welcomed him before worrying about the uniform across his chest.
Scherzer grinds through Washington’s new generation
The warm reception disappeared as soon as the game began. James Wood, the young power hitter at the centre of Washington’s rebuild, attacked Scherzer’s opening pitch for a single. Luis García Jr. followed with another hit, and the Nationals eventually loaded the bases with one out.
Scherzer escaped without allowing a run. First, he struck out Dylan Crews, another key part of Washington’s young core. Daylen Lile then grounded out to end the inning. The sequence lacked Scherzer’s old precision, but it carried his familiar refusal to let an inning break open.
García finally reached him in the second inning with an RBI double. Even without his vintage command, Scherzer changed speeds, worked through traffic and prevented Washington from adding another run.
His most demanding test arrived against Lile in the third. The young outfielder spoiled pitch after pitch during a 12-pitch confrontation. Scherzer eventually ended the battle with a curveball for his fourth strikeout. After recording the out, he looked toward Toronto’s dugout and appeared to know his night had reached its limit.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider walked to the mound and removed him after 75 pitches. As Scherzer headed toward the visiting dugout, Nationals fans rose again. He responded by waving toward the stands.
“I knew it was going to be a little rusty,” Scherzer told reporters during his postgame media session.
Schneider acknowledged the unusual walks but focused on the quality of Washington’s contact. García’s double represented the only ball the Nationals struck particularly hard against Scherzer, offering Toronto an encouraging sign beneath the inefficient pitch count.
Toronto needs his body to cooperate
The 75-pitch limit reflected more than normal caution for a returning starter. Back spasms and right thumb inflammation forced Scherzer onto the injured list after his June 10 appearance. Earlier in the season, right forearm tightness and left ankle inflammation had already interrupted his progress.
His previous return lasted three and one third innings and produced five earned runs. Even so, the Washington appearance represented a modest step forward, despite Scherzer never finding the command that once allowed him to overpower hitters deep into games.
At 42, with a 9.49 ERA through seven starts and a body that keeps interrupting his progress, Scherzer faces an uncertain final stretch. Toronto cannot build its plans around the pitcher who dominated Washington nearly 10 years ago. Instead, the Blue Jays need him to recover between outings, sharpen his command and provide competitive innings without another physical setback.
Monday offered a small reason for hope. Although Scherzer lacked efficiency, he limited the Nationals to one run despite constant traffic. His fastball, breaking pitches and competitive instincts helped him escape situations that could have ended his appearance much earlier. That resilience matters for a Toronto club trying to determine how much it can ask from him during the rest of the season.
Walter Johnson chase adds stakes to his next start
Scherzer also moved closer to another place in baseball history. Historical totals for Walter Johnson vary because records from his era have undergone several revisions. Baseball Reference lists Johnson with 3,509 strikeouts, while Elias Sports Bureau credits him with 3,515 on the official major league leaderboard.
Under the Elias accounting, Scherzer finished Monday with 3,507 career strikeouts. He needs eight more to equal Johnson and move into a tie for 10th place in major league history.
Assuming his body allows him to take the mound, the chase gives Scherzer’s next appearance extra importance.
The applause carried more weight than the result
Across social media, rival fans and local supporters praised the Washington crowd for giving Scherzer the welcome his career there earned. Many reactions returned to the same point: his work during the 2019 championship season permanently changed how the city views him.
The possibility that this marked Scherzer’s final appearance at Nationals Park gave the second ovation added weight. Toronto will not return to Washington during the regular season, and Scherzer has offered no guarantees about how long his career will continue.
His return provided few clean innings and no certainty about what comes next. Still, the evening showed that Washington’s connection to Scherzer has survived every trade, uniform change and injury since his departure. The pitcher walking off the mound belonged to Toronto. That roaring crowd remembered him as a National.
READ MORE: Walter Johnson: The Big Train. The Hiss of High Heat and the Burden of Washington
FAQS
1. Why did Nationals fans give Max Scherzer two standing ovations?
They honored his successful Washington career, two Cy Young Awards and role in the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship.
2. How did Max Scherzer pitch in his return to Washington?
Scherzer allowed one run on four hits and three walks. He struck out four across two and two thirds innings.
3. Was this Scherzer’s first start at Nationals Park since leaving Washington?
Yes. It marked his first pitching appearance there since the Nationals traded him during the 2021 season.
4. How close is Max Scherzer to Walter Johnson’s strikeout total?
Scherzer finished the game with 3,507 career strikeouts. He needs eight more to equal MLB’s official Walter Johnson total of 3,515.
5. Why did Toronto remove Scherzer after 75 pitches?
Toronto carefully managed his workload because he had just returned from the injured list following back and thumb problems.
I live for the roar of the crowd, the rush of a new city, and the kind of moments that turn into lifelong memories. Sports keep me energized, travel keeps me grounded, and every journey gives me a fresh story to tell.
