NEW YORK -- Once the adrenaline was gone after exiting the game, Nationals starter Max Scherzer realized how sore his right leg felt. He took a comebacker off it in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 12-9 victory at Citi Field, but at the moment, he aggressively waved off the athletic trainer or anyone from the dugout from coming out to check on him.

Scherzer’s lower leg was wrapped postgame as he walked through the clubhouse with a slight limp from a bone bruise, but he didn’t have any doubts about making his next start.

“Right now, it feels like crap,” Scherzer said. “It was fine during the game, I was able just to kind of keep it moving and it didn’t tighten up, but once I came out of the game, once you lose the adrenaline, it tightened up pretty good. It kind of hurts to walk right now, but this was just a little bone bruise. I’ll be fine here.”

The injury was all that could slow down Scherzer’s contributions to this Nationals win in the rubber game of the series. He was in the middle of a five-run rally in the second inning, poking an RBI single through the left side of the infield to ignite the offense. The Mets walked Wilmer Difo in front of Scherzer to load the bases with one out, the first of two times Scherzer found himself in the box with the bases loaded on Sunday.

And as a pitcher who takes a lot of pride in turning himself into a better hitter, Scherzer was thrilled to have come through.

“I’m just happy I was able to get a big hit in that situation and get the inning going,” he said. “Starting pitchers, you take a lot of pride in what you do at the plate, anything you can do to help the ballclub. Man, as soon as you flip that lineup, those guys are hungry to get it.”

With the early advantage, Scherzer never looked back, giving up four runs with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, although his leg started tightening up during the seventh inning before manager Dave Martinez decided to pull him from the game. The victory also helped Scherzer avoid starting the season 0-3 for the first time since 2009 with the D-backs.

“Max being Max, he competed all day,” Martinez said. “And he pitched unbelievable.”

Anthony Rendon belted a big three-run homer in the seventh that gave the Nats a 12-1 cushion, as the Mets rallied for eight unanswered runs, including five in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Up next

Right-hander Anibal Sanchez will take the mound, despite a bruise on his hip from a comebacker in his last start, as the Nationals open a three-game series against Bryce Harper and the Phillies at 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. The teams split a two-game set during their first meeting this season at Nationals Park.