The Nationals led by three runs in the bottom of the eighth with Max Scherzer already at 116 pitches. A runner stood in scoring position. Scherzer struck out the batter, ramping up the intensity. Joey Votto, who had doubled earlier off Scherzer, stepped in next. Manager Davey Martinez hesitated but started toward the mound. Scherzer spotted him and didn’t hide his feelings. He stared Martinez down, muttered to himself, and made it clear he wasn’t coming out. “You better not take the ball from me,” he told him. Martinez asked if he was sure. Scherzer fired back with some choice words and said, “Let’s go.” He locked eyes with his catcher and said, “Let’s get to work.”
Staying in, Scherzer faced Votto again. First pitch, off-speed for a strike. Second pitch, high strike. Third pitch, low in the zone. Strike three. Votto went down looking. Scherzer lost it. He roared like a man possessed, seething and charged with energy. The gamble paid off. Martinez avoided second-guessing, and Scherzer finished the inning on his own terms.