New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer joined the team this off-season on a three-year, $130 million deal. Photo courtesy of the New York Mets
JUPITER, Fla., March 22 (UPI) — Three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer may be in a new shade of blue, but he showed off his typical pitching dominance in his spring debut for the New York Mets on Monday in Jupiter, Fla.
“Today, I just wanted to come in and fill up the zone,” Scherzer told reporters at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. “If you have a feel for the strike zone, you can pitch around the strike zone.
“That was the good thing today. I threw a lot of strikes and got work in.”
The new Mets ace allowed three hits, an earned run and totaled five strikeouts over five innings in the 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins. More than 3,000 fans attended.
Scherzer issued four-seam fastballs, changeups, sliders, cutters and curveballs and threw 55 of his 72 pitches for strikes.
Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm singled off Scherzer in the Mets ace’s first exchange. Avisail Garcia plated Chisholm with another single three at-bats later.
Scherzer retired the next nine hitters in order. Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar ended that hot streak with a fourth-inning double. Scherzer then retired his final four hitters in order and left the game after the fifth inning.
The Marlins scored their second run on a seventh-inning fielder’s choice. They added a third run on an Isan Diaz sacrifice fly in the next at-bat.
Marlins starter Elieser Hernandez allowed just one hit in two shutout innings in the victory. Max Meyer did not allow a hit or a run over four relief innings for the Marlins.
Scherzer, 37, went 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA in four spring training appearances last year for the Washington Nationals. He then went 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 regular-season starts for the team. The Nationals traded Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July.
He went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his final 11 appearances last season. Scherzer owns a career 3.16 ERA and a 190-97 record over 407 appearances.
He signed a record three-year, $130 million contact with the Mets in November. The team owes the eight-time All-Star a $43.3 million salary for each season of that pact.
“He came in with a plan,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said of Scherzer. “He has a track record. It’s not his first time around. … I’m glad he takes that [challenge] on.”
The Mets continue their spring training schedule against the Houston Astros at 6:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Fellow Cy Young award-winning pitcher Jacob deGrom is expected to start for the Mets. Jake Odorizzi is expected to start for the Astros.
