Wire Taps: Another rainout; Max Scherzer breaks nose; Braves, Phillies running away with NL East

Well, the Nationals finally did it: they had an injury during a non-game situation during a day when there wasn’t even a game. Truly revolutionary, this team.

Here’s the news from Nats Park:

Nationals' Max Scherzer may actually be NL Cy Young front-runner (WaPo)
Hyun-Jin Ryu has a 1.26 ERA. He has been impossible all season long. But Scherzer will strike out more in front of a worse defense, with an FIP of 2.27 (compared to Ryu's 2.52), and the projections all think Scherzer will finish the best pitcher in the league with yet another Cy Young for his mantle.

Turns Out The NL East Didn’t Have Four Good Teams (FiveThirtyEight)
The Braves and Phillies have a 86% combined chance of winning the NL East — and the statheads think the Nats are running low on time to make up a nine-game deficit even though their talent is interchangeable with the division leaders.

Tanner Rainey wasn’t a full-time pitcher until turning pro. He’s now a key for Nationals bullpen (WaPo)
Tanner Rainey tried almost everything before becoming a reliever, and has found success there, with a 2.19 ERA — but it's been quite the road for the former second-rounder who went from occasional pitcher to strike machine.

Max Scherzer breaks nose in batting practice accident; next start uncertain (WaPo)
A CT scan revealed no further damage to Scherzer's nose, and Ryan Zimmerman ran the bases and felt okay.

North wins Carolina League All-Star Classic (MLB.com)
Nick Banks, an outfield prospect at Potomac, hasn't gotten much attention this year — but a game-winning three-run shot in the eighth at the All-Star Game for the Carolina League might just change that.

Banks' three-run shot rallies North to 8-7 comeback win in Carolina League All-Star Classic (MASN)
“I didn’t think I got it up high enough,” Banks said. “I thought it was too much of a line drive. But it was kind of carrying to left a little bit, so I squeaked it over.”

Scherzer breaks nose, status for next start TBD (MASN)
Scherzer, while taking BP, fouled a ball off his own nose in a rather emblematic moment for these Washington Nationals.

Phillies Nationals game on Tuesday postponed (MLB.com)
You're never gonna believe this, but the Nats were rained out again.