With season at stake, Nationals put their faith in Scherzer

When he takes the mound shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Max Scherzer will bear the weight of the Nationals' season on his broad shoulders. There are no do-overs. There's no chance to come back the next day and make up for whatever happened the previous one. The National League wild card game is their one and only shot to keep their season alive and advance to a full, five-game Division Series against the Dodgers.

And they've chosen to entrust Scherzer with this assignment.

That wouldn't normally be a topic of discussion. Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young award winner, a seven-time All-Star, on a career trajectory that ends with a permanent plaque in Cooperstown. He finished this season with a 2.92 ERA, with the highest strikeout rate (12.7 per nine innings) in the league.

Why wouldn't the Nationals give the ball to Scherzer for this do-or-die game?

Because he made only one start over a seven-week stretch in July and August due to an unusual back strain. Because when he did return from the first significant injury of his career, he had to be eased back. Because even when he was allowed to clear the 100-pitch mark in his last two starts of the regular season, he was done in by a few critical home runs allowed, resulting in nine runs over his final 12 2/3 innings.

And because as this all played out, Stephen Strasburg just kept taking the ball every fifth day and kept putting the Nationals in position to win, completing perhaps the best all-around season of his career.

That's why Davey Martinez's announcement Friday that Scherzer would start the wild card game against the Brewers drew more than a little criticism from those who believed Strasburg was more deserving of the assignment.

For the Nationals' decision makers, this wasn't nearly as difficult as some made it out to be.

"We discussed it before our latest day off (Sept. 19), because we set up our rotation this way," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We've got Max on plenty of rest. We've got Stras on full rest. We've got (Patrick) Corbin available on short rest. And Aníbal Sánchez. So we're loaded and ready to compete tomorrow. Max is a guy that thrives on big games."

He certainly seemed to be playing that part this afternoon when he sat down in the interview room at Nationals Park to take questions from a room full of reporters, both local and national, about his season and Tuesday's game.

This was not the jovial version of Scherzer who loves to engage with reporters on any day he doesn't pitch. This was locked-in Scherzer, his answers brief, his points clear, his mood all business.

"I've put myself in this position to be able to give whatever I need to give to the team tomorrow," he said. "I've been up to 100 pitches a couple times now. My arm has responded. I feel like I can pitch. I can execute pitches that deep in the game."

The numbers may not have looked great on paper, but to the eye Scherzer looked like the peak version of himself for the vast majority of his two most recent starts (Sept. 18 at St. Louis, Sept. 24 vs. Philadelphia). He struck out 21 batters while walking only one. His fastball averaged 95 mph and topped out at 98 mph.

Yes, there were those killer home runs surrendered to Tommy Edman and Matt Wieters and Brad Miller, but that was less significant to club officials who just wanted to know Scherzer was back to full health.

"I watched Max pitch his last few outings," Martinez said. "He built up his pitch count. He felt good every outing. We watched his bullpens to monitor him. He felt good. The other day he threw an unbelievable bullpen, one of the better ones I've seen. He's ready to go. We're fortunate to have a Max Scherzer pitch in the wild card game."

This isn't the first time Scherzer is appearing in a winner-take-all game in October. He started Game 5 of the 2016 NLDS against the Dodgers, carrying a shutout into the seventh before he surrendered a leadoff homer to Joc Pederson that prompted Dusty Baker to pull him from a game the Nationals would eventually lose.

He also pitched twice in relief in a Game 5: for the Tigers in the 2011 ALDS against the Athletics, for the Nats in the 2017 NLDS against the Cubs. Neither went especially well for him, with five total runs crossing the plate in 2 1/3 innings.

"I've been in that situation," he said. "I've had some success. I've had some failures as well. It's just about going out there and trusting yourself and believing that what you've got can beat the other guy."

That's what the Nationals are banking on. When the clock strikes 8 p.m. tonight and a sellout crowd waving red towels welcomes him to the mound, they expect to see the very best of Max Scherzer.

It'll then be up to the 35-year-old to deliver.

"It's Max," catcher Kurt Suzuki said. "You know he's going to be pumped up. You know he's going to be ready. The guy's a big game pitcher. I don't expect anything less than that."