Max Scherzer throws seven scoreless in Washington Nationals’ 4-1 win over San Diego Padres...

“It’s just one of those days,” second-year Washington Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez told reporters after the San Diego Padres walked off on his squad in the second game of four in Petco Park on Friday night.

“Come back tomorrow, we’ve got Max [Scherzer] on the mound, and here we go again.”

Scherzer tossed seven scoreless on 101 pitches, striking out nine, and the Nats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after five and held the Padres off the board through eight in what ended up a 4-1 win.

Scherzer vs the Padres: Though the Nationals were just 1-2 in Max Scherzer’s previous three outings before tonight’s against the Padres, the righty dominated the opposition in those starts, posting a 0.90 ERA in 2O innings pitched over that stretch, with 30 strikeouts to four walks, and a .189/.241/.284 line against in those appearances.

Tonight in Petco Park, Scherzer was taking on San Diego for the second time this season, after holding the Padres to two runs on four hits in seven innings at home in Washington, D.C. back on April 26th.

Scherzer struck out 10 of the 24 batters he faced in that outing. He finished with nine Ks from 28 batters tonight.

Scherzer needed 76 pitches through five scoreless innings, working around five hits and a walk as the Nationals jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and the Nats’ ace was up to 90 pitches on the night after stranding a two-out base hit in a 14-pitch bottom of the sixth.

An 11-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth left Scherzer at 101 pitches overall on the night, with nine Ks from 28 batters faced.

Max Scherzer’s Line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks, 101 P, 71 S, 8/3 GO/FO.

Lauer vs the Nationals: Padres’ left-hander Eric Lauer took the mound tonight unbeaten in his previous four starts, over which he had a 1.50 ERA, three walks, 17 Ks, and a fairly stingy .195/.247/.264 line against in 24 innings in the outings.

Lauer was facing the Nats for the second time this season, after the 24-year-old southpaw gave up two hits, three walks, and two earned runs in 5 ²⁄₃ innings pitched on April 27th in D.C., when he received no decision in what ended up an 8-3 win for the Padres.

Tonight in San Diego, the lefty gave up one and two-out singles by Adam Eaton and Juan Soto, respectively in the first, and Howie Kendrick drove Eaton in with a line drive to left field that put Washington up 1-0 early in the third of four in Petco Park. Kendrick’s hit was his 16th with runners in scoring position on the season (16 for 40, .400 AVG).

Kendrick walked to start the top of the fourth, and scored on a two-run blast to left by Brian Dozier, who smoked a first-pitch fastball, sending his 10th HR of the season and the 1,000th hit of his career over the fence, 3-0.

Trea Turner singled to start the fifth, moved up on a passed ball, took third on a fly to center off Adam Eaton’s bat, and scored on an RBI single to center by Anthony Rendon, 4-0.

Eric Lauer’s Line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 101 P, 67 S, 6/5 GO/FO.

Rendon is Streaking: Anthony Rendon singled the first time up on Friday night in Petco Park and went 1 for 4 overall, extending his on-base streak to 23 straight games, over which the 28-year-old third baseman was 28 for 82 (.341/.417/.659) with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs, 20 walks, and 12 Ks in 102 plate appearances.

An RBI single in the fifth extended Rendon’s streak to 24 straight games, and gave the Nats a 4-0 lead over the Padres.

BULLPEN ACTION: Right-hander Luis Perdomo came on for San Diego in the top of the eighth, and retired the Nationals in order in an 11-pitch frame.

Tanner Rainey dialed it up to 98 to get Eric Hosmer swinging for out No. 3 of a 17-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.

Gerardo Reyes retired the Nationals in order in the top of the ninth.

Wander Suero got the bottom of the ninth for the Nats, issued a leadoff walk to Franmil Reyes and gave up a two-out single by Austin Allen that got the Padres on the board, 4-1.

Sean Doolittle came on against Fernando Tatis, Jr. and popped him up with one pitch to end the frame. Ballgame.

Nationals now 29-35