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PHILADELPHIA — Max Scherzer has been so dominant that teammates are surprised when he actually gives up a hit.
Scherzer took a perfect game into the sixth inning in his bid to become the second pitcher in major league history to throw two consecutive no-hitters and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Friday night.
On a day Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg resigned, Scherzer stole the show.
Scherzer (9-5) retired the first 16 batters before Freddy Galvis doubled on a 1-1 pitch to the right-field wall. The Nationals right-hander allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings.
“Once you get through the order first time through, you know you have something going,” Scherzer said. “But, it’s hard. It takes luck and when you make mistakes, they have to mishit it.”
Scherzer tossed a no-hitter last Saturday against Pittsburgh, falling one strike shy of a perfect game before hitting Jose Tabata on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. He threw a one-hitter, striking out 16 in his previous start.
But he couldn’t match Johnny Vander Meer, who threw two straight no-hitters for the Cincinnati Reds in June 1938. The deepest a pitcher took a no-hitter after throwing one was Nolan Ryan in 1973, when he allowed a hit with no outs in the eighth.
“It’s an unbelievable feat,” Scherzer said of Vander Meer. “It seems so improbable he was able to do that.”
Scherzer has taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning in three straight starts.
“Every time he goes out there, it seems he’s going to be perfect,” outfielder Matt den Dekker said. “It’s fun to watch.”
Phillies starter Aaron Harang (4-10) gave up five runs — four earned — and nine hits in six innings to drop his seventh straight decision.
Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 24 chances. The game ended when Domonic Brown ran through a stop sign at third base on Cody Asche’s single and was tagged out in a rundown.
Pirates 3, Braves 2, 10 inns.
PITTSBURGH — Jordy Mercer doubled home Andrew McCutchen with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Pittsburgh to a win over Atlanta.
McCutchen doubled off Jason Grilli (2-3) leading off the inning and three batters later, Mercer’s third hit of the game smacked off the right-field wall as the Pirates won for just the second time in their last seven games.
Mark Melancon (1-1) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th for Pittsburgh as the Pirates’ bullpen didn’t allow a hit in three innings of relief. Pedro Alvarez added two RBIs for the Pirates.
Juan Uribe homered for Atlanta and Eddie Perez had two hits, but the Braves dropped their fourth straight game.
Mets 2, Reds 1
NEW YORK — Noah Syndergaard pitched eight sharp innings and light-hitting New York got exactly the help it needed when Johnny Cueto suddenly lost the strike zone, edging Cincinnati.
The Mets returned home from a 1-7 road trip in which they totaled 11 runs, and won despite getting just two hits. Curtis Granderson launched a leadoff homer into the second deck on Cueto’s third pitch.
Dodgers 7, Marlins 1
MIAMI — Brett Anderson tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed only one fly ball to help Los Angeles send Miami to its fifth straight loss.
Scott Van Slyke, filling in again for the injured Yasiel Puig, hit a two-run homer. Howie Kendrick tied a season high with four hits, and Jimmy Rollins had a two-run single.
Blue Jays 12, Rangers 2
TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion hit his seventh career grand slam and a solo homer as Toronto handed slumping Texas its season-high sixth straight loss.
Russell Martin and Danny Valencia each hit solo homers for the Blue Jays, who improved to 17-7 in June and boosted their ML-leading run total to 417.
Orioles 4, Indians 3
BALTIMORE — Chris Davis singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, J.J. Hardy homered and had two RBIs and Baltimore beat Cleveland.
Jimmy Paredes had three hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who have won five of six to move a season-high five games over .500 (39-34).
Tigers 5, White Sox 4
DETROIT — J.D. Martinez hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, and Joakim Soria worked out of a jam in the ninth to lift Detroit over Chicago.
The Tigers trailed 4-3 in the seventh, but Rajai Davis led off with a homer that inning, and Martinez went deep off Zach Duke (3-3) in the eighth.
Red Sox 4, Rays 3, 10 inns.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mookie Betts doubled to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 games and scored on Brock Holt’s 10th-inning single to give the Boston Red Sox a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Betts lifted a perfectly placed fly ball that dropped down the left field line to give him the Red Sox’s longest hitting since Jacoby Ellsbury had a 19-game streak in 2013. Holt followed with his game-winning hit off Steve Geltz (1-3).