Max Scherzer threw a no-hitter and nearly a perfect game June 20 against the Pirates. But the case could be made that Scherzer was even more dominant in his previous start, a one-hitter in Milwaukee on June 14.
Consider this breakdown:
June 14 @ Brewers: 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 16 K, 0 HB.
June 20 vs. Pirates: 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 1 HB.
No matter how you drill down the numbers, Scherzer was sizzling in those two games, and his start after the no-hitter was pretty impressive as well. On June 26 in Philadelphia, Scherzer held the Phillies scoreless until the seventh inning.
It is one of the strongest three-game runs for a pitcher. Ever.
To commemorate this feat, Scherzer has given his catchers, Jose Lobaton and Wilson Ramos, a special gift: A Hublot Big Bang watch. Price varies according to the exact model, but most Big Bang watches are in the $8,000 range.
Lobaton caught the one-hitter against the Brewers. Ramos worked Scherzer's next two starts.
Scherzer gave the watches to them in low-key fashion with a thank-you and a handshake. He declined to comment further about his generous gesture. But as we learned in the story about Scherzer's autographs-for-charity program, the Nationals star has a big heart.
