A fun matchup at Nationals Park lasted just 12 pitches Friday night.
Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer walked off the mound with an injury after going to a 3-2 count on Brandon Belt, the second hitter of the game. Scherzer appeared to be trying to shake off discomfort -- possibly in one of his legs -- after the pitch and manager Dave Martinez and Nationals trainers came out to check on him. Scherzer threw one warm-up pitch and then walked off the mound and into the dugout.
The good news was it didn't appear as if Scherzer had an issue with his right arm. He hit 96 mph with his final pitch and the warm-up throw didn't appear to be lacking in velocity or movement.
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The Giants haven't faced Scherzer in three years, and he looked like he would be one of their toughest tests of the season so far. Scherzer had a 2.22 ERA in his first 12 starts. He was replaced by fellow right-hander Paolo Espino, who faced pressure to go deep. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
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Scherzer was originally supposed to pitch Thursday but the game was rained out. It rained most of the day in Washington D.C. on Friday, as well.
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