The New York Mets made a blockbuster signing with the addition of Max Scherzer over the offseason on a three-year, $130 million contract. Scherzer dealt with a hamstring injury in spring training that put his early-season status in doubt. That indeed moved him off the Opening Day start (with Jacob deGrom also out for a long while), but Scherzer was able to start Game 2- and that came against the team he won two Cy Young Awards and a World Series championship with.
Scherzer went six innings against the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Nationals Park, allowing three earned runs, three hits, one walk, and striking out six batters over 80 pitches (there was also plenty of drama while the Mets were batting). He also got the win, in a 7-3 Mets victory.
Max Scherzer's Mets debut, and his return to Washington, is in the books:
6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches.
He can win it. He cannot lose it.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 9, 2022
Max Scherzer responds to the Francisco Lindor hit by pitch by retiring the side in the bottom of the fifth. Strikeout, groundout, strikeout.
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) April 9, 2022
He allowed a home run, which was a massive two-run blast by Josh Bell. This dinger went an estimated 443 feet, with a 112.2 mph exit velocity.
Scherzer gave up a few 112 mph batted balls in this game, which is certainly notable considering how infrequently that happened in the past.
Additionally, he got zero whiffs with his four-seam fastball, something that hasn’t happened — in outings he didn’t leave with an injury — since 2010.
But for the first start of the season, and after battling the hamstring issue in recent weeks, the Mets will gladly take six solid innings from Scherzer- especially in a winning effort.
Here’s more reaction to Scherzer’s Mets debut:
Max Scherzer threw a quality start in his Mets debut, facing his former team.
Scherzer's final line vs. Nats:
6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 80-53After giving up a two-run homer to Josh Bell in the fourth, Scherzer retired eight of his next nine batters.
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) April 9, 2022
Max Scherzer's final line in his Mets debut, against the Nationals in D.C.: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches (53 strikes).
That is a strong showing considering his recent hamstring problem and his own uncertainty about how long he'd be able to pitch tonight.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 9, 2022
This is why Scherzer is Scherzer. FB was getting hit pretty hard but used all of his pitches to go six solid innings after not pitching in a game for 10 days because of hamstring. As advertised, the guy is a gamer.
— John Harper (@NYNJHarper) April 9, 2022
Scherzer actually on the Mets or is this a special AppleTV thing? pic.twitter.com/uejo5YmBFg
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) April 9, 2022