Scherzer off to good start, O'Grady leaves injured (Nats win 3-2)

Already this start is going better for Max Scherzer than his last outing. Minus his very own three-run homer, of course.

Scherzer has allowed only a Derek Dietrich double in the second inning so far. After three innings, he has struck out four hitters. No sign that his neck is bothering him at all.

Scherzer had to leave his last start against the Marlins in the second inning after suffering a neck spasm.

The Marlins starter this time around, George Mason product Chris O'Grady, got injured himself in the bottom of the second tonight and had to leave the game. In that inning, the Nationals got an RBI single from Matt Wieters to take the lead 1-0.

O'Grady left the game with a right oblique strain.

Mid-third in D.C., the Nats lead the Marlins 1-0.

Update: Bryce Harper led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot, his 29th of the season and 150th of his career, off Marlins reliever Odrisamer Despaigne. The moonshot carried deep into the right-center field stands. After four frames, the Nats lead is 2-0.

Harper is the 14th player in major league history to hit his 150th homer before reaching his 25th birthday.

Update II: The Marlins finally broke through on Scherzer in the fifth. With one out, Tomás Telis doubled. With two outs, Despaigne singled to right to score Telis. The Nats lead 2-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Update III: Giancarlo Stanton curhsed his 37th homer of the season to lead off the sixth, tying his career high for a season. After Christian Yelich walked, he stole second base and went to third on a throwing error by Wieters. But Scherzer struck out J.T. Realmuto and Dietrich to get out of the inning.

Mid-sixth and we are back even at 2-2.

Update IV: Scherzer finishes a solid quality start with seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and striking out nine. He fired 114 pitches, 77 for strikes.

Update V: In the eighth against Marlins reliever Jarlin García, Wilmer Difo singled. He was sacrificed to second by Andrew Stevenson. With two outs, pinch-hitter Adam Lind singled to right-center to score Difo. The Nats lead 3-2 after eight innings.

Sean Doolittle came on in the ninth. Despite a bloop single by Miguel Rojas to lead off, Doolittle induced a pair of flyouts. Pinch-hitter Tyler Moore struck out to earn Doolittle his ninth save.

The Nats hold off the Marlins 3-2. Their season series now even at 5-5.