Scherzer's emotional DC homecoming turns into a Blue Jays slugfest

Max Scherzer hadn't pitched in Washington since he left the Nationals, and on his 42nd birthday he walked back onto the Nationals Park mound wearing a Blue Jays jersey. It was his first appearance since coming off the injured list, and the building he once dominated for six-plus seasons and a 2019 World Series title greeted him like he never left.

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Mad Max makes his return to DC!

The nostalgia didn't last long once the game got rolling. Toronto's Luis Urias turned around a pitch and sent it to dead center, a 103 mph shot that traveled 416 feet and tied the game up early, with Blue Jays players spilling over the dugout railing to celebrate.

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Urías to dead center! We’re tied in DC

Scherzer's outing wasn't dominant this time around. He worked through 2 2/3 innings and 75 pitches before handing the ball off, a reminder that this is a 42-year-old arm coming back from injury rather than the Cy Young version DC fans remember. But the crowd didn't care about the pitch count. When he walked off the mound, Nationals fans stood and applauded, and Scherzer tipped his cap on the way to the visiting dugout in what was reportedly his 100th career start at that ballpark.

The story didn't end with the sentimental stuff, either. As the series between these two clubs continued, Luis Garcia Jr. put a charge into one for the Nationals, launching his 22nd home run of the year, a two-run shot that had the Nationals scoreboard reading 6-4 at the time. It was the kind of swing that reminds you Washington still has its own young core worth watching, even in a series defined by a former ace's homecoming.

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Luis Garcia watch it FLY

Scherzer's night ultimately went to Toronto, who beat the Nationals in his return start, but the score barely mattered once he walked off that mound. Six and a half years and a World Series ring buy you that kind of send-off no matter which dugout you're standing in when you get it. Whether this was truly his last appearance at Nationals Park or just the start of a farewell tour, DC made sure he knew how it still feels about him.