Nationals’ Max Scherzer visibly annoyed when umpires check him for illegal substances for a third time

It didn't take long for Major League Baseball's crackdown on pitchers using illegal substances to go from orderly to exasperating. At least in the eyes of Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer.

After enduring a starting pitcher's two mandatory between-innings checks of his hat, glove and belt, the three-time Cy Young award winner reacted angrily when the umpiring crew stopped play in the middle of the fourth inning. 

With the Nationals leading 3-1, Scherzer threw a ball up and in to Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, who had to twist out of the way to avoid getting hit. Scherzer ended up getting a strikeout, but umpires apparently felt they needed to check him one more time.

Max Scherzer just got checked again for a foreign substance in the middle of the 4th inning pic.twitter.com/2OGbi6Lh12

Scherzer angrily dropped his glove and hat — and almost looked ready to take off his belt and pants — before umpires declared everything was fine and play could continue. 

Under MLB's new rules, managers can request that umpires check an opposing pitcher, but only if there is reason to suspect he is using something illegal. Already one of the game's most animated players, the delay only seemed to fire Scherzer up even more. 

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