Scherzer did everything but win the game with season-high eight innings

BALTIMORE - Max Scherzer continues to be the go-to starter for the Nationals. Tuesday's effort against the Orioles in a no-decision was one of his best this season.

The right-hander lasted a season-high eight innings, allowing only two runs, scattering four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. The home runs still a concern: Scherzer allowed solo shots to Seth Smith and Adam Jones. The second homer came in the eighth, cutting the Nationals' lead to 4-2.

The Orioles came back to win the game 5-4 in 12 innings.

But Scherzer was outstanding. He struck out 10 or more batters for the third time this season and the 52nd time in his career. The 52 games with 10 or more strikeouts matches Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for most by an active pitcher.

Scherzer also carried a no-hitter into the sixth for the 10th time in his Nationals career. That is best among pitchers in the majors since 2015. The no-hitter was erased on the Smith homer.

Scherzer felt a key to his success against the Orioles on Tuesday night was his off-speed pitches, especially his slider and changeup.

"It felt good. I know this is a fastball-hitting team, and I know you have to have all your pitches working to try to keep them off-balance," Scherzer said. "I was able to get good depth off my changeup today, and my slider played off that as well. It gave (catcher Matt) Wieters some room and flexibility to call the game. I tried to trust him as much as possible, just because he obviously knows this team."

Scherzer went four straight innings with at least two strikeouts. He notched at least one punchout in every inning but the first.

"Max was great," said manager Dusty Baker. "We were trying to get him through that eighth inning, and then trying to piecemeal the ninth."

A critical juncture arrived in the eighth when, with two outs, Jones slammed the homer. Baker arrived to look Scherzer in the eye and decide whether or not to keep him in against Manny Machado.

"It was a look," Baker said. "I go by how you look in your eyes and how you look in your face. Sometimes you see tiredness. sometimes you see fear. And sometimes you see determination. And I saw determination, and that was good enough for me."

It was more than just a look. Lip-readers could easily decipher what Scherzer said to Baker to convince him to leave him in to face Machado. Scherzer provided a more family-friendly version to reporters afterward of what he said to convince Baker to leave the hook in the dugout.

"I knew the situation in the game," Scherzer said. "I knew with a two-run lead that I still had the pitches left to face Machado. I knew how I pitched him and knew that I had enough in the tank to face him. So he basically came out just to see how I was doing. I told him I was good."

Scherzer finished with 113 pitches. But he still felt he had something left to get guys out in the eighth.

"You always want to go deep, regardless of the situation," he said. "And then you start getting down, when you get to that 100-plus pitch count, you always want to be able to give Dusty options. Make sure you manage your pitch count, and when you have the situation come up, you know you've still got your best pitches left at the end of the game.

"Like I've always said, those last 15 pitches usually determine your outing, and you've got to be ready and on full tilt for those. That's what I take pride in, and to make sure Dusty knows my best is still at the end, so that he can make his best decision."

Did Baker have any misgivings about letting Scherzer face Jones? Jones had hit .429 with three homers against Scherzer lifetime, but was 0-for-3 against him before the solo shot.

"If there had been somebody on base, he wouldn't have faced Jones," Baker said. "Because he's hit him in the past. But you've got to get your nemesis out sometime. He had gotten him out pretty good tonight. Certainly that's not what cost us the game because he got the next couple guys out."