Nationals ace Max Scherzer left in the second inning of Tuesday night's 7-6 loss at Miami with what the team said were neck spasms, after belting his first career home run in the first inning.

Scherzer said he has had a crick in his neck for a couple of days but that it helped his swing.

"I couldn't pull my head out, I had to stay locked in," Scherzer said. "That actually gave me a better swing. That's the reason why I hit a home run."