Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer started Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game in Denver with a quick 1-2-3 inning, but he nearly lost his head in the process.
After Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani grounded out to second to open the inning for the American League, Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vlad Guerrero Jr. stepped up to the plate. And on the fourth pitch, a 95-mile-an-hour fastball, Guerrero nearly decapitated Scherzer with a blistering line drive to second.
It was a relatively easy out for the National League as Pittsburgh Pirates’ Adam Frazier made the play and Scherzer hit the ground. But that was still a scary, close call for the three-time Cy Young Award winner, a four-time All-Star Game starter.
Vlad Max: Wholesome Road pic.twitter.com/Ziotm3fHbW
— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2021
I LOVE BASEBALL
And I'm so glad Max Scherzer was ok after that 111.1 mph batted ball off Vlad Jr's bat pic.twitter.com/6WgHrbE5l7
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 14, 2021
And afterward, Guerrero jogged over to the mound to hug it out with Scherzer. No hard feelings, and per The Washington Post‘s Chelsea Janes, Scherzer is just happy to be alive.
Scherzer: “I’m alive…that’s the success story… I’m just grateful I still have a blue eye and a brown eye.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 14, 2021
Guerrero then went on to homer in the top of the third against Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander Corbin Burnes.
