WASHINGTON -- In the midst of another gem on the mound, Max Scherzer surprised the Braves in the seventh inning Monday with his ability on the basepaths.
After a leadoff single, Scherzer swiped second base without a throw, catching Atlanta off guard. It was Scherzer's first career stolen base.
Scherzer stole the base because of the benefit of a huge secondary lead. The Major League average for a secondary lead is about 20 feet, but Scherzer got a 33.6-foot secondary lead against right-hander Peter Moylan that allowed him to swipe the base easily.
To that point, Scherzer had tossed seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, blanking the Braves' rolling offense.