The Royals and Nationals were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth when Ren Downes drilled a shot to left-center. Adam Eaton, already on first, took off and rounded the bases to score the go-ahead run. Nationals players were pumped, and Max Scherzer raced out of the dugout thinking they had just walked off the game. Problem was, it was only the eighth inning. Scherzer went for a high five, got left hanging, and turned it into a quick slap on the backside before realizing his mistake. Eaton gave him a confused look, and teammates like Stephen Strasburg couldn’t stop laughing.
Strasburg doubled over, taunting Scherzer for the mix-up. Scherzer tried to play it cool but clearly knew he’d blown it. He walked off in embarrassment while Strasburg kept cracking up. The moment didn’t make the main broadcast angles, but you could catch Scherzer sprinting out from the dugout in the corner of the frame and fist-pumping like they’d just sealed the win. It was a rare mental lapse from one of the most intense guys in baseball, and his own teammates had a field day with it.