After throwing 117 pitches and striking out 14 batters, Max Scherzer did not feel like he was ready to leave Sunday’s game against the Reds. He made those feelings known to Nationals manager Dave Martinez, who tried to take out his streaking ace in the bottom of the eighth right as Joey Votto got to the plate. Needless to say, Scherzer was not happy with Martinez’s removal attempt.
Martinez eventually relented and let Scherzer get the final out of the inning against a tough opponent. Here’s how that decision turned out (spoiler alert: pretty damn well):
Your eyes do not deceive you. That is, in fact, Scherzer throwing his 118th, 119th and 120th pitches of the day for a three-pitch strikeout with Votto looking at all three. For added fun, here’s what that final strike looked like complete with a victorious scowl afterwards.
The Washington Nationals may not be winning as many games as they used to be able to, but Scherzer’s ability to turn unfettered rage into some of the most impressive pitching performances in the league still remains unmatched and unaffected by the rest of his team’s woes.