Max Scherzer will start for the Washington Nationals on the mound in Tuesday’s NL wild-card game. Manager Davey Martinez made an official announcement Friday.
Martinez also announced Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, the Nationals’ other two pieces to their big three starting rotation, will be available out of the bullpen.
Scherzer told 106.7 the Fan’s Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier earlier Friday, “I’ll get the ball, at least to start it.”
The Nationals (90-69) clinched a spot in the one-game elimination playoff on Tuesday. They will face either the Milwaukee Brewers (89-70) or the St. Louis Cardinals (90-69). Both the Brewers and Cardinals are vying for the NL Central division title.
Currently, the Nationals hold a one-game lead over the Brewers for the home-field advantage for the wild-card game. The Brewers trail the Cardinals by one game for the NL Central title. The team that does not win the division will face the Nationals in the elimination game.
As for the Nationals, Martinez could have went any direction for starter. Scherzer is the ace and a three-time Cy Young winner. However, he was limited to 27 starts this season with a back injury that landed him in the injured list twice. Despite the limited starts he finished with 243 strikeouts and an NL leading 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings rate.
Strasburg leads the NL with 18 wins and 209 innings pitched. He also has 251 strikeouts. The left-handed Corbin posted a career-best 3.05 ERA this season while striking out 230 batters in his first year with the Nationals.
