Veteran starters dueling on South Capitol Street (Nats win 5-4)

Max Scherzer has been very good but had one little slip-up. R.A. Dickey, meanwhile, has been near-perfect.

And so the veteran right-hander on the mound tonight at Nationals Park making a run at history isn't Scherzer, but rather Dickey, who has tossed four no-hit innings so far to lead the Braves to a slim lead over the Nationals.

Dickey and Scherzer each retired the first nine batters he faced before anyone finally broke through in the fourth.

Scherzer opened that frame allowing a leadoff double to Ender Inciarte. Moments later, Brandon Phillips (after fouling off a bunt attempt) sent a hot shot up the middle and off a diving Daniel Murphy's glove. Phillips came racing home to score without a throw, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Scherzer has otherwise been sparkling, even though he hasn't necessarily been showing off his best stuff yet. He has only three strikeouts but is taking advantage of quick outs to remain efficient. His pitch count through four innings: 47.

Dickey also has thrown only 47 pitches through his four innings. The knuckleballer's only blemish was a one-out walk of Ryan Raburn in the bottom of the fourth. And that mistake was quickly erased when Bryce Harper grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Update: Dickey completed five no-hit innings, causing plenty around the ballpark to start rumbling, but Stephen Drew came to the rescue in the bottom of the sixth. Drew led off with a line drive into right field and then hustled his way to a double. And when Matt Wieters followed with a single to left-center, Drew scored and this became a 1-1 game as we head to the seventh.

Update II: That tie game didn't stay that way long. Freddie Freeman (who else?) led off the top of the seventh by lofting an 0-1 slider from Scherzer down the right field line and into the second deck above the bullpen. Just like that, the Nationals are trailing about, now down 2-1 at the stretch.

Update III: And now it's 4-1 Atlanta. Scherzer was one pitch away from getting out of the eighth, but he walked Ender Inciarte and then gave up a single to Brandon Phillips. Oliver Pérez entered to face Freeman, and you can guess what happened next: two-run single to left. Now the Nationals have some serious work in the final two innings against the Braves bullpen.

Update IV: The Nationals put up a spirited rally in the bottom of the ninth, and they managed to force extra innings. After Harper singled and Zimmerman walked, Murphy lined an RBI single to right. Rendon then dropped his own RBI single into shallow right field, and now it was a 4-3 game with the tying run on third, the winning run on first and nobody out. Chris Heisey, in his first at-bat off the disabled list, grounded to third. And though he hustled to prevent a double play, Murphy had to hold at third base. Wieters, though, came through with a sacrifice fly to center, deep enough to score Murphy and tie this game. They kept the pressure on when Wilmer Difo singled through the right side of the infield, bringing the tying run to third and Brian Goodwin to the plate. Goodwin sent a lazy flyball to left, and so now we're headed to the 10th in what has turned into an awfully entertaining ballgame.

Update V: Nats win. Adrián Sanchez led off the bottom of the 10th with his first career hit. Ryan Zimmerman then advanced him to third with a single to right field. And Daniel Murphy sent everybody home happy with a line drive over Matt Kemp's head. Nats win 5-4 in a 10-inning thriller.