It was October 30, 2019, and the Fall Classic was coming to a dramatic close in a winner-take-all Game 7. Max Scherzer, 34 years old and fueled by grit and cortisone, took the mound for the Washington Nationals. A team that had started 19-31 now stood just 27 outs away from baseball immortality.
That night became the greatest moment in Nats history.
Washington beat the Astros 6-2. Scherzer, pitching through neck pain so severe he couldn’t lift his arm days earlier, battled through five gutsy innings and left with Washington trailing 2-0. The bats came alive after he exited.