Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is money.
It wasn't enough Scherzer ended the team's five-game losing streak on Monday with a dominating two-hit shutout. He also managed a single and the first stolen base of his 11-year career. Scherzer became the first person in 33 years to throw a complete game shutout, strike out double digits and steal a base. Nolan Ryan did it a couple months before Scherzer was born.
Holy Ryan Express.
.@Max_Scherzer is the first hurler to pitch a shutout, strike out 10+ batters and steal a base in one game since Nolan Ryan (5/16/84 at PIT). pic.twitter.com/wnZ0naCWN9
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) April 10, 2018Scherzer is worth every penny of his $210 million deal signed in 2015. He has won two Cy Young awards and 52 games for the Nats. Many big-money athletes disappear after coming to Washington. Scherzer has excelled.
Scherzer paces along the dugout on his days off so wanting to grab a bat and hit. And when Scherzer’s on the base paths, he wants to run. Managers naturally don't want their best pitcher getting hurt trying to steal, but Scherzer is an athlete. He knows what to do.
It would be easy to say if only the Nats had more players with Scherzer’s desire, but they do. The whole lineup is practically like that, even when they look worthless at times offensively.
But the staff's ace is meant to stop losing streaks and things were starting to look scary when a 4-0 start turned into 4-5. Yes, it's a long season, but nobody wants to go a week without winning. The NL East won't be a runaway for Washington this season. New York and Philadelphia are vastly improved and Atlanta's no chump.
Scherzer makes it all look easy. He's tougher than opponents, which is why the Nats are so much better than before his arrival. Need a win? Scherzer is there. Need a pinch runner? Maybe Scherzer has finally found a way to get into games when not pitching.
Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks
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