Are Max Scherzer’s last two games the best ever?

Max Scherzer threw the second no-hitter in Nationals history and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 Saturday at Nationals Park.

Given that Scherzer had pitched a one-hit 4-0 shutout in Milwaukee in his previous start, it is a good argument that Scherzer has put together the greatest two-game accomplishment in history.

Scherzer's performances invite comparisons to Johnny Vander Meer, the Cincinnati Reds starter who threw consecutive no-hitters in 1938.

Vander Meer, a lefty, had 11 walks and 11 strikeouts combined in his no-hitters. The Reds beat Boston 3-0 in an afternoon game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, and then Vander Meer pitched the Reds to a 6-0 win on the road against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Max Scherzer pumped no-hitter.jpgScherzer combined for 26 strikeouts and one walk in beating Milwaukee at Miller Park and Pittsburgh at home.

And Scherzer came within inches of consecutive no-hitters.

The only hit Scherzer gave up in the two games came in Milwaukee, a bloop single to the Brewers' Carlos Gomez in the seventh inning. Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon just missed making the catch.

On that at-bat, the Nationals were playing Gomez to hit to the left side, so Rendon was shading closer to second than he usually does. If Rendon had his usual positioning, Scherzer would have had back-to-back no-hitters.

"I got lucky," Gomez told reporters after the game.

Vander Meer was an unpredictable lefty with a 119-121 career record and a 3.44 ERA.

He was a three-time All-Star who led the National League in strikeouts in three seasons and walks twice. In '43, he also led the NL in strikeouts (174) and walks (162).

According to the Reds' website, Vander Meer's game against Boston, on June 11, was sparsely attended at Crosley Field, and few at the game realized Vander Meer was working on a no-no because the Crosley scoreboard didn't have a hits column.

Four days later in Brooklyn, there was a huge buzz, but not because a second no-hitter was possible. The game was historic because it was the first night game in Brooklyn and the first night game outside of Cincinnati.

A crowd of 38,748 watched, including Jesse Owens and Babe Ruth.

Vander Meer walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning against Brooklyn. Eventually, he retired Leo Durocher on a fly ball to center.

In Vander Meer's attempt at a third consecutive no-hitter, he held Boston hitless through 3 1/3 innings before he gave up a hit.

Vander Meer started for the NL in the All-Star Game at Crosley in 1938.

In 1947, another Reds pitcher, Ewell Blackwell, nearly duplicated Vander Meer's feat. Blackwell threw a no-hitter against Boston, and in his next start, went 8 1/3 no-hit innings versus Brooklyn. Blackwell walked seven with nine Ks in the two starts.

The king of no-hitters, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, had a record seven no-hitters, and in 1973 while pitching for the Angels, he came within two innings of throwing consecutive no-hitters in a game against the Orioles.

Ryan threw a 17-strikeout no-hitter vs. Detroit on July 19, 1973, the game in which Tigers first baseman Norm Cash came to the plate with a table leg, saying he had no chance to hit Ryan.

After no-hitting the Tigers, Ryan's next start was in Anaheim against the Orioles. He gave up a run in the first inning thanks to a wild pitch. He also had 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

Ryan was taking aim at his third no-hitter of the season for the Angels. In addition to the Tigers, he'd also no-hit the Kansas City Royals.

In the eighth inning versus the Orioles, Ryan hit Brooks Robinson with a pitch and light-hitting shortstop Mark Belanger ended the no-hit bid with a single to center. Belanger was a .244 career hitter against Ryan, but he hit only .228 for his career.

Let's hear from you: Are Scherzer's two games the best ever?

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