Max Scherzer Bests Old Team In Mets Debut, Offense Scores Seven Runs In Win Over Nationals
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WASHINGTON -- Not only did starting pitcher Max Scherzer make his Mets debut on Friday night, he also returned to his old home ballpark for the first time to face his former team.
And Scherzer, who was a question mark during the week due to a hamstring hiccup, produced a strong outing against the Nationals in a 7-3 Mets' win.
On a hamstring that was less than 100%, Scherzer went six innings, throwing 80 pitches, while allowing three runs, three hits and one home run. He also made some plays off the mound, struck out six and only walked one batter.
In addition to pitching on a nagging hamstring, Scherzer had to deal with a 14-minute delay to his outing due to an issue with the lights at Nationals Park.
"He was outstanding," manager Buck Showalter said of Scherzer's performance. "He had some long innings. Don't forget about the 15-minute lights delay. We had the right guy pitching tonight. That could really get into some people."
Showalter went onto credit Scherzer for his ability to pitch through his hamstring issue.
"Said he had his governor in the right place, but not pushing too much," Showalter said. "They were testing him right out of the shoot with the bunt, they knew."
As for Scherzer, the ace was able to apply prior experiences in his career, where he has taken the mound with an injury, in order to toss a successful outing.
"I could get through the baseball tonight, but I also needed to recognize that I do have an injury here and that I'm still pitching and you need to pitch around it," Scherzer said. "I know how to do it. I've done it many times in my career and you just have to go out there and pitch, that's the No. 1 thing."
And Scherzer's offense provided him with enough support to pickup the victory in his first start as a Met.
“(My start) went well considering what I had to battle through," Scherzer said. "The rest of the team had some big two-out hits. When you get a little breathing room and some run support like that it allows you to be aggressive and attack the hitters.”
After going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position on Opening Day, the Mets' bats provided timely hitting for the second straight night with a solid 5-for-13 clip.
Newcomer Starling Marte drove in a total of three runs on an RBI double and two-run single in back-to-back innings. Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano each had two RBI of their own as well.
McNeil got the Mets on the board with a solo home run on his 30th birthday to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning. For McNeil, this was the second-straight year in which he homered on his birthday. McNeil reached base safely four times in this contest and has five hits through two games this season.
After the Mets took a 3-1 lead, the Nationals answered back off Scherzer in the bottom of the fourth, as Josh Bell unloaded a two-run blast into the second deck in right field.
However, the Mets regained the lead in the top of the fifth when Brandon Nimmo led off with a triple and Marte drove him home with a double.
Marte's two-run single in the next inning gave the Mets two much-needed insurance runs. And that would be all the Mets needed to eclipse a second-straight victory to open up the regular-season.
Drew Smith, Seth Lugo and Sean Reid-Foley combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen behind Scherzer.
Josiah Gray, one of two top prospects the Nationals acquired in their trade of Scherzer at last year's deadline, was the losing pitcher in this contest. Gray tossed four innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, while striking out five and walking two.
Offseason trade acquisition Chris Bassitt will take the hill on Saturday to make his Mets debut. The Mets, who are now 2-0 in 2022, will look to make it three straight wins over the Nationals, as they try to claim their first series to open up the season.
Crisis Averted
Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch near the jaw area in the fifth inning, which saw both teams benches and bullpens clear. Lindor was shaken up and forced to leave the game.
Luckily, the Mets dodged a bullet as X-Rays on Lindor's jaw came back negative and the shortstop cleared the concussion protocol.
Lindor became the third Met to get hit by a pitch in this series. On Opening Day, James McCann was hit twice while Pete Alonso had a scare of his own when he got plunked near the helmet pad area.
Nationals reliever Steve Cishek was ejected for hitting Lindor. Former Mets third base coach Gary DiSarcina, who is now serving in this role with the Nationals, was also ejected after this benches clearing brawl.
