Toronto Blue Jays at Washington Nationals

Max Scherzer’s second return from an IL stint this season went better than his first, enough so that he’s hopeful for what could still be ahead. Scherzer labored through 2 2/3 innings on 75 pitches on his 42nd birthday, but he escaped by allowing only one run in his former home park in the Blue Jays’ 3-2 win over the Nationals in Monday night’s series opener. “I knew it was going to be a little rusty,” Scherzer said after his 100th career start at Nationals Park. “I knew this happens when you come off the IL, and you haven't pitched as much. Every time out, it should be a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better execution. “If I can get that going, I know I can still compete at this level at the highest level and compete against anybody. So it should be fun for me in the second half here.” In the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s first outing since June 10, he struck out four to move within eight of Walter Johnson (3,515) for 10th all-time on MLB’s all-time strikeout list (according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of Major League Baseball). Scherzer also walked three and allowed four hits. In the process, he lowered his ERA by about three-quarters of a run, to 9.49, in his seventh start this season and first since he landed back on the IL with a combination of back spasms and right thumb inflammation. He has retired more than 10 batters in only two of those outings, both of those coming before his first injury setback due to right forearm tightness and left ankle inflammation. Most encouraging for Blue Jays manager John Schneider was an absence of strong contact, aside from Luis García Jr.’s second-inning RBI double. “I thought he battled really well, you know what I mean?” Schneider said. “They were fouling off some stuff, and the walks were kind of uncharacteristic of him. But really only one hard-hit ball from García, and he gave us everything he had.” In Scherzer’s previous return from the IL on June 10, he allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings before landing back on the IL. Barring any other setbacks, Scherzer might have one more outing before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline to convince possible trade suitors he’s worth a low-risk flyer (should he waive the no-trade clause in his one-year, $3 million deal).