The veteran right-hander Max scherzer has been very fine on the mound since he joined the Dodgers after his change from the Washington Nationals on the last trade deadline. With California, “Mad Max” is 5-0, with a ridiculous 1.05 ERA in seven starts. He has also struck out 63 opponents in 43 innings, which have been against teams with playoff aspirations.
In his most recent outing, Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals, he prescribed 13 no-run chocolates after eight innings of work. Scherzer leads the majors with a 2.28 ERA and is second in the National League in strikeouts with 210 going for him. Likewise, he is first in MLB in WHIP (.086) and leader with the lowest batting average against (.181). In short, he has plunged into Fight for the National League Cy Young Award.
What’s next for Max Scherzer? His next turn in the temporary runner-up rotation in the NL West would tentatively come Saturday against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
While his next tournament home stretch starts are subject to change, his remaining opponents may be: two-time Padres, Reds, D-backs and Brewers. One thing does seem certain: Scherzer will be tested a lot down the stretch.
While his opponents could change slightly if the Dodgers change their rotation, especially with the possible reinstatement of Clayton Kershaw, he’s likely to make at least four or five more starts against teams vying for postseason spots.
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