Max Scherzer got the anticipation of his Mets debut out of the way, as well as his return to Washington, both in one night.
Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.
“Just a crazy, wild experience,” Scherzer said. “It’s almost good that this was the first on, just get it out of the way and keep marching forward.”
Scherzer turned in a quality start in his first appearance since signing a record contract with New York, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on three hits, walking one and striking out six. It was enough to get the win, and enough to quiet concerns of his hamstring “hiccup” that endangered his availability for the opening series.
“It went pretty well, considering what I was having to battle through,” Scherzer said.
“When you get a little breathing room and run support like that, it allows you to be aggressive and attack hitters.”
Facing former teammate Juan Soto, Scherzer was able to hold the superstar outfielder hitless, as Soto finished the game 0-for-3 with a walk (though he did rip a 113 mph lineout). But Scherzer knows there will come a time when Soto gets him back.
“You want to face the best,” Scherzer said. “This was his first time. This is round one. It gets fun a few times down the road when we’re gonna see how he hits against all my pitches, because he’s gonna blast me at some point. It’s a cat and mouse game…that’s the fun part.”
