Scherzer demonstrates again why he is a Game 1 starter

MIAMI - Max Scherzer "stops all streaks," according to manager Dusty Baker.

He did it again Wednesday for his 18th win of the season.

The right-hander delivered another sterling performance and showed Baker was true to his word in an 8-3 dispatch of the Marlins, snapping the Nationals' four-game losing streak.

"He's the epitome of the shutdown inning," Baker said. "You get him some runs he knows how to close the door.

"Max is awesome. He should be in strong consideration for a Cy Young. I talked to him earlier. I said, 'How many starts you got?' I gave him a number. I said, 'Let's win six of them.' He said, 'I want to win all of them.' That's the attitude that you want. That's the attitude that he carries and the guys love playing behind him."

Scherzer went 6 2/3 innings Wednesday, allowing three runs and four hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts. He has won six decisions in a row.

Ryan Zimmerman slammed a three-run homer in support of Scherzer for the win. The four early runs was all he needed to take down the Marlins. In the first six innings, Scherzer retired 18 of 21 batters faced.

"He prepares himself really well," Zimmerman said. "Obviously, he has above average stuff or he wouldn't do what he does. But he works hard, in here before his start with his plan and what he wants to do up and down the lineup. There's not too many guys that do it better than him right now."

Scherzer said he felt like his stuff was clicking from the beginning: his fastball, curveball and cutter were "clicking." But as he has said in the past, when you face a team that knows you and has seen you now three times, you have to be able to mix it up.

"It's sequencing, it's understanding how to use a curveball, when to throw a cutter when to elevate, all the little things, little preparation things that I go over before a game and really sticking to a plan and really executing it," Scherzer said. "I really feel like I did a good job of that tonight and that's what allowed me to keep their offense down for so long."

Scherzer did allow late homers to Christian Yelich and pinch-hitter Derek Dietrich. But he said he would not let those two pitches define his outing.

"This start had way more positives and that's what I'm going to focus on," Scherzer said.

With the magic number at two, does Scherzer allow himself to taste that division crown?

"That's the worst mentality you can possibly have," Scherzer said. "We know there's magic numbers and we just saw (Ender) Inciarte make that game-winning catch, so we're all a little happy about that. But you just got to keep your blinders on and keep going at it.

"You can't worry about playoffs and all this other crap, you got to just go out there and understand that if you take care of business good things happen. And I think if everybody does that we're going to be partying."

The Nationals feel confident when they arrive to their Game One of whatever playoff series they are in, Scherzer is the pitcher they want out there.