Washington Nationals’ lineup for series opener with Arizona: Max Scherzer vs the D-Backs...

Heading into tonight’s outing in Arizona, Max Scherzer, a 2006 Diamondbacks’ first-round pick, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a three-team deal with the New York Yankees in ‘09, is (5-0) in six starts against his former team, five of them since signing with the Washington Nationals in 2015.

Scherzer starts the night with a 2.41 ERA, 11 walks (2.41 BB/9), 55 Ks (12.07 K/9) and a .171/.234/.315 line against 41 innings vs the D-Backs.

When he faced the Diamondbacks in D.C. back on May 4th, Scherzer held Arizona to one run on two hits and two walks over seven innings, striking out 11 in a 4-2 win.

Nationals’ skipper Dusty Baker told reporters after the win that he thought having something to prove to the team that drafted him and dealt him away definitely played a part in Scherzer’s determination to beat the D-Backs.

“You’d be lying if he said it was just another team,” Baker said.

“You especially get psyched against your former team and yeah, [Scherzer] came out strong and he had that look in his eye and you could tell by the opening pitch that he wanted to beat the Diamondbacks.”

In his last four starts overall, the Nationals’ righty is unbeaten, (3-0), with a 1.69 ERA, seven walks (2.36 BB/9), 38 Ks (12.83 K/9) and a .140/.208/.247 line against in 26 ²⁄₃ IP.

The Nationals try to start a new winning streak after Wednesday night’s loss to the LA Angels, which snapped a streak of six straight wins. It was just the second shutout loss this season for Washington.

The Nats took two of three from the D-Backs in May, and six games into their nine-game road trip, they’re 5-1 with wins in seven of their last ten overall.

HERE’S THE NATS’ LINEUP FOR THE FIRST OF THREE WITH THE D-BACKS: