PHILADELPHIA — Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2.
Scherzer looked sharp in his return after missing a start due to a groin injury, striking out eight in five innings.
Girardi apparently didn’t like what he saw. In the fourth, soon after a high and tight pitch, Girardi asked the umpires to check Scherzer as part of MLB's crackdown on grip enhancers.
When approached by crew chief Alfonso Marquez for a third time, Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the ground and unbuckled his belt.
After the fifth, Girardi yelled at Scherzer and was ejected.
The teams will complete their short two-game series with a matchup today at 1:05 p.m.
