The battle scar is still noticeable -- a shiner under his right eye -- but Max Scherzer is not about to skip turns in the rotation.

Scherzer took the mound for his scheduled start on June 19, a day after the Washington Nationals ace broke his nose during a pregame bunting drill. Despite the freshness of the injury, Scherzer pitched seven shutout innings and won his fourth consecutive start to lead the Nationals to a 2-0 home victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Scherzer (6-5, 2.62 ERA) will look to extend his unbeaten June on Tuesday night when he starts the opener of Washington's three-game series at Miami.