Scherzer tweaks fastball in 2-0 win, strikes out 12 as Nats sweep O's

BALTIMORE - Max Scherzer was outstanding again facing Baltimore.

The right-hander twirled eight shutout innings against the Orioles, allowing only two hits in lifting the Nationals to a sweep of the series in a 2-0 win.

Since joining the Nats, Scherzer (9-1) has now pitched at least eight innings in four of his five starts against the Birds.

He struck out 12 batters on Wednesday night, the third most he has punched out this season. He managed at least one strikeout in every inning.

Manager Davey Martinez said the biggest key for Scherzer was his fastball velocity and command.

"He had a really good fastball tonight," Martinez said. "I should say great fastball. He was 96 mph, 97 mph, over the plate. And his slider was really, really sharp."

"Yeah, felt like I had really good pitches tonight," Scherzer said. "I was really working well with (Pedro Severino) tonight. Did a good job of changing our sequences throughout the lineup. First time, second time, third time through the lineup. Just execute with pitches tonight. When I can throw all my pitches for strikes, that's when I can work ahead in the count."

Scherzer had allowed a home run in each if his last three starts. Coming into a hitter-friendly place like Oriole Park at Camden Yards, there was a chance that homer streak would continue.

But Scherzer had made an adjustment last week, a tweak in his delivery, which made his fastball even more difficult to touch.

"Big thing was, I made a little mechanical tweak," Scherzer explained. "Changed my positioning of my hands. Took my hands a little bit lower and away from my face a little bit more and I felt like that put me on line. I was really able to work the glove side fastball tonight. I felt like that really allowed me to get strikes, work ahead in the count, and get Seve the opportunity to sequence guys the way he wanted."

The first at-bat went up to 10 pitches against Jace Peterson. Scherzer finally induced a fly out to center field and then retired 18 of the first 19 batters he faced.

Bryce Harper, who hit his 18th homer of the season to get the offense going, said it is fun to play defense behind Scherzer every start.

"He went out there and did his job," Harper said. "Whenever he goes out here that fifth day, he's always competitive and one of the best pitchers in baseball. Can't say enough about him. slider, heater, changeup, everything worked tonight. Really special."

Juan Soto dropped in a perfect opposite field bloop single to score the Nats' second run in the seventh.

The club ran their record 10 games above .500 (32-22) for the first time this season. The Nats have now swept four series on the road.

Harper's homer came off of Orioles starter David Hess in the third inning. He connected on a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall. With the rain coming down, Soto smacked a Miguel Castro 1-2 changeup down the left field line in the seventh to score Wilmer Difo.

Scherzer struck out 10 or more batters for the 72nd time in his career and the eighth time this season. He walked only one batter.

Even at 9-1 and dominating pretty much every outing, Scherzer said he is never above making a tweak here or there -- adjusting as the season moves along.

"Oh, it's always a battle. Any pitcher can tell you that, Scherzer said. "If hitting is the hardest thing to do in sports, I'd say pitching is the most complicated. It's one of those things you are always trying to tinker with. You know come out of each start and really feel 'hey, what's happening?'.

"Everybody uses video and video is can sometimes be a crutch. Sometimes you have to rely on your instincts and your feel, what you feel out there and know what type of adjustments you need to make in between starts. That's something over the years I really can dial into when I know things are right and things are wrong and what type of adjustments I need to make between starts."

The Birds managed a double from Manny Machado in the seventh. Scherzer again got out of the jam, but he was up to 101 pitches. Martinez talked to him about the upcoming eighth frame.

"We talk," Martinez said. "At that point of the game we always talk and I told him 'what you got?' he looked at me and says, 'hey, I feel really good, but it's your call.' And I looked at him and I said, 'well, you're dealing so give us what you got. We'll give you 110, 112 pitches and we'll go from there.' And he said, 'gotcha.' "

Scherzer said it's not always the case where he demands to stay in. He let Martinez make the decision. Brandon Kintzler was warmed up.

"Just a situation where we are at in the lineup," Scherzer said. "How's (Kintzler) doing? If he wanted to start a clean inning. But I felt good to go back out there. So really I put the decision on Davey. I'm going to back out there but it's your decision. You make this call. You've seen us all pitch so it's your decision. He obviously wanted me to go back out there. So that's how that conversation went."

Amazingly, despite a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth, Sean Doolittle ended the game when he saw pinch-hitter Craig Gentry try to steal third. Difo tagged him out on the relay from Anthony Rendon. Doolittle then retired the next two hitters for his 13th save.

And Scherzer had his eighth consecutive victory. And the Nats own the best record on the road in the majors, at 20-8.