Nats' Zimmerman: 'It's going to be hard not to give' Scherzer the Cy Young

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman believes Max Scherzer's torrid run with the Los Angeles Dodgers will likely result in the ace winning his fourth National League Cy Young Award.

"If he keeps pitching like this for whatever he has left, four or five starts, it's going to be hard not to give it to him," Zimmerman told WJFK's "The Sports Junkies" on Thursday.

Scherzer has gone 5-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 43 innings (seven starts) since being dealt from the Nationals to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. The right-hander leads the majors in ERA, WHIP, and batting average against, and he's second in the NL in strikeouts with 210.

Zimmerman, who played with Scherzer for six-and-a-half seasons, acknowledged the eight-time All-Star has found new life in L.A. competing for a division title.

"He always needs something to fuel him, and maybe going to a new place and being somewhere new and, obviously, in the playoff hunt again, and things like that," Zimmerman said. "I mean, there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to go there and pitch well."

Scherzer faces stiff competition for the award from teammate Walker Buehler, Milwaukee Brewers aces Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, and San Francisco Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman.