Max Scherzer named National League Player of the Month

Following a month in which he went 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA (10 ER/40.2 IP) and 63 strikeouts against just 10 walks, Nationals right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive month on Saturday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network.

Scherzer, 33, led the National League in strikeouts (63) and strikeouts per 9.0 IP (13.94) in May. He also ranked in the top three in the National League in opp. OBP (2nd, .238), WHIP (2nd, 0.89), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3rd, 6.30), opp. AVG (3rd, .176), and hits allowed per 9.0 IP (3rd, 5.75),

He is the first pitcher to win back-to-back Player of the Month awards to start a season since Houston Astros left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel took home Pitcher of the Month honors in April and May of 2015.

Scherzer struck out at least 10 batters in four of his six in May, the most such starts in Major League Baseball during the month. He capped the month by tossing 8.0 innings of two-hit, shut-out ball in Washington's 2-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on May 30. He struck out 12 batters without issuing a walk. In his first four starts of the month, he pitched to a 2.03 ERA (6 ER/26.2 IP) and struck out 47 batters while walking just seven.

Scherzer's award is the second monthly award for the Nationals in 2018. The club took home four awards in 2017: Ryan Zimmerman (April Player of the Month), Max Scherzer (June Pitcher of the Month), Stephen Strasburg (Sept. Pitcher of the Month) and Sean Doolittle (Sept. Reliever of the Month).

This award marks the fourth taken home by a Nationals player so far in 2018. In addition to his Pitcher of the Month Awards (April, May), Scherzer was named Player of the Week on April 16 and Adam Eaton won the first National League Player of the Week Award on April 2.