ATLANTA–Well, so much for Max Scherzer not hurting the Atlanta Braves during this four-game series.
The Washington Nationals ace isn't slated to pitch until early next week, but that didn't stop him from playing a prominent role in the Braves' 14-inning defeat on Saturday (5-3).
With one out in the 14th, Scherzer laced a pinch-hit single to center field. Two batters later, the three-time Cy Young winner (one AL, two NL) scored the eventual game-winning run, courtesy of Wilmer Difo's RBI triple off Braves reliever Miguel Socolovich.
Washington added an insurance run moments later, thanks to Spencer Kieboom's RBI single.
It was a lightning-quick ending to a marathon game, with the Braves (34-24) and Nationals (33-24) enduring four hours in the hot Georgia sun, before determining a winner. Even with the loss, though, Atlanta leads Washington by 1/2 game in the National League East standings.
It was somewhat surreal to see the day capped with a harmless single. The reasoning: The regulations-inning scoring was the sole byproduct of the long ball.
In the 2nd, Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor deposited a hanging curveball from Brandon McCarthy over the left-center wall–not an easy task at SunTrust Park (the ball traveled approximately 400 feet).
It was McCarthy's only real hiccup of the day. For his six-inning stint, the veteran right-hander fanned seven Nationals and surrendered only two runs.
Three innings later, Braves third baseman Johan Camargo topped Taylor in the distance department, crushing a Gio Gonzalez fastball well beyond the centerfield fence.
Camargo's blast, which sent the home crowd into a delirious tizzy, momentarily gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead.
Washington would counter in the 7th, relying on a solo blast from 19-year-old phenom Juan Soto, who advanced through three different levels of minor-league ball this spring before earning a call-up to the majors.
After just two months of play, Soto already has 15 professional homers, while racking up a cumulative on-base percentage north of .460.
There's a price to pay for being so aggressive and prolific, though.
Which brings us to this ...
Things got tense for the Braves in the top of the 11th: Reliever Jesse Biddle hit one batter (Brian Goodwin) and walked two others (Anthony Rendon, Mark Reynolds), setting the stage for Soto at bat and the bases loaded. (Trea Turner and Bryce Harper struck out before the two walks.)
However, Biddle had the upper hand from the get-go, mystifying Soto with two off-speed pitches before mowing the rookie down with a pair of nasty fastballs.
Did Soto properly check his swing on Strike 3? Perhaps. But it was the kind of 50-50 call that seemingly shifted the momentum back to the Braves.
But the mojo changeover didn't last very long; and now, Atlanta must win on Sunday to preserve its divisional advantage.
