We might be becoming numb to it at this point, but it's good to be reminded every once in a while: Max Scherzer is great. And he's showing no signs of letting up.
Scherzer, who carried a shutout into the seventh inning last night before surrendering a two-run homer during what ended up being a 12-4 Nationals victory over the Pirates, improved to 6-1 with a 1.79 ERA to begin his season. That outing didn't count for his April totals, which were plenty good on their own merits: 5-1, 1.62 ERA, 57 strikeouts, nine walks in 39 innings.
It's the fourth time Scherzer has won NL Pitcher of the Month in his three-plus seasons with the Nationals. He previously earned the honor in May and June 2015 and June 2017.