Tight NL Cy Young race centers on Nats duo

Clayton Kershaw won his third National League Cy Young Award two years ago, in unanimous fashion. He was rolling toward another no-brainer selection until his back shut him down.

Now there’s not a clear-cut front-runner, although like the NL Most Valuable Player Award race, the discussion centers on two teammates. This debate is about two Nationals, not two Cubs.

• Castrovince: No clear favorite for AL Cy Young

The Stephen Strasburg /Max Scherzer argument harkens back to 2001 and ’02, when Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling led the D-backs to one championship and then a 98-win season.

Hardware Hopefuls

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• AL Cy Young • NL Cy Young

• Wednesday: AL Rookie of the Year • Wednesday: NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• AL Cy Young • NL Cy Young

• Wednesday: AL Rookie of the Year • Wednesday: NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

That accounted for two of the three times since 1969 that teammates finished first and second in Cy Young Award voting. The other was in 1974, when Dodgers closer Mike Marshall pitched 208 1/3 innings over 106 relief appearances to get the nod over 20-game winner Andy Messersmith.

The remaining eight weeks will determine this year’s vote just as much as everything that’s happened up until now. At least 10 pitchers can still win it. That …

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