Don’t forget about Max Scherzer and Nationals’ talented rotation
The Washington Nationals are off to an 8-1 start as reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper hasn’t missed a beat and free-agent acquisition Daniel Murphy is swinging the bat like he did in the 2015 postseason for the Mets.
The biggest reason for Washington’s early success, though, is that Max Scherzer and the pitching staff that’s now overshadowed by the power arms up in New York that call Citi Field home are out to prove they’re on the same level as their division rivals.
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Scherzer takes the mound Saturday at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies in the the Yahoo Sports MLB Free Game of the Day. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. ET, and you can stream it for free at sports.yahoo.com/videos or sports.yahoo.com/mlb.
So far, it’s the ace Scherzer that’s got the highest ERA in the rotation at 4.15 heading into his third start, but a good outing in Philadelphia should be enough to get him down closer to the company of Stephen Strasburg (1.98 ERA, two starts), Gio Gonzalez (0.00 ERA, one start), Joe Ross (0.61 ERA, two starts) and Tanner Roark (2.45 ERA, two starts).
The Phillies, pegged to be among the worst teams in the majors, are chugging along at 5-6, but when Scherzer is on his game he’s borderline unhittable, evidence by his two no-hitters last season. The Nationals right-hander also has a 4-1 record and a 2.25 ERA in six career starts against Philadelphia. Aaron Nola is the starter for the Phillies, and the 22-year-old right-hander is worth watching, too. How he plan to attack a red-hot Harper and the rest of Washington’s lineup will be very interesting.
The Nationals’ 8-1 record to open the regular season is their best start in franchise history. It’s up to Scherzer to keep it going and issue another reminder that Washington’s rotation can be every bit as good as the Mets’ crew, if not better.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
