Scherzer leads Nationals into the desert
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Max Scherzer returns to Arizona to face the franchise that made him a first-round pick in 2006 as the Washington Nationals begin a three-game set with the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks nabbed Scherzer 11th overall and he spent two seasons with the club, going 9-11 with a 4.12 earned run average in 30 starts in 2009 before getting dealt to the Detroit Tigers in December of that year in a three-team deal.
Scherzer emerged as a top-of-the rotation hurler over five seasons with the Tigers, going 82-35 with a 3.52 earned run average in 161 starts while striking out 1,081 batters in 1,013 innings. He was selected to a pair of All- Star teams and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2013.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 30-year-old went on to sign a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals this past offseason and is 2-3 with a 2.11 earned run average through six starts.
He snapped a two-start slide on Wednesday with a 7-5 win over the Miami Marlins despite giving up five runs and 10 hits over seven-plus innings. Scherzer did strike out 10 batters for a second straight outing and did not walk a batter for the third time in his last four starts. He was also supported offensively by Bryce Harper's three-homer game.
The right-hander has faced the Diamondbacks once before, getting a win back in 2010 with seven innings of one-run ball in which he struck out eight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nationals have won four straight and seven of their past eight games, finishing off a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with Sunday's 5-4 win. Harper came into the contest with six homers and 12 RBI over his previous three games and managed a pair of hits and an RBI.
Wilson Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman both drove in a run during the go-ahead eighth inning and finished with two RBI each. Jordan Zimmermann gave up three runs on eight hits over six innings, while Sammy Solis got the win for a scoreless inning of relief.
"I just stay with the same plan I always use," said Zimmermann. "I've found that if you panic and try changing your approach, it usually backfires on you so I've just been staying the course."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington did see third baseman Yunel Escobar exit Sunday's win after three innings due to a stomach virus.
The Diamondbacks come into this set having a split a four-game series with the San Diego Padres. They won Sunday's finale 2-1 on homers by Aaron Hill and A.J. Pollock.
Daniel Hudson allowed two hits over 3 1/3 innings of a spot start, striking out five. J.C. Ramirez got the win, Arizona's fourth in six games, after allowing one run on four hits over 2 2/3 frames in relief.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Though he is coming off a second straight winning start, Josh Collmenter will look for a better effort on the mound tonight against Washington.
Collmenter held the Rockies to just one unearned run over eight innings in a home victory on April 29, but struggled keeping them off the board during a rematch in Colorado on Wednesday. The righty was tagged for five runs on 10 hits, three of those homers, over seven innings, though he fanned five without a walk in the 13-7 decision.
It was still good enough for Collmenter to win for the third time in four starts and improve to 3-3 with a 3.40 ERA this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 29-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four previous meetings with the Nationals, including two starts.
The Nationals went 6-1 against the Diamondbacks last season and have won 14 of the previous 18 encounters.