Scherzer allows 1 hit in home debut as Mets sweep Giants

April 20, 2022 GMT
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New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer delivers to a San Francisco Giants batter during the second inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
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New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer delivers to a San Francisco Giants batter during the second inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched no-hit ball into the sixth inning of his anticipated home debut and the New York Mets rode their $130 million ace to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night for a doubleheader sweep.

Scherzer (3-0) was overpowering for 5 2/3 innings before seeming to hit a wall. His velocity dipped and control wavered over consecutive walks to Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Belt, and then Darin Ruf ripped an RBI single for San Francisco’s first hit.

The 37-year-old Scherzer, slowed late in spring training by a balky right hamstring, finished out the sixth and then tossed a 1-2-3 seventh. Drew Smith allowed the Giants’ only other hit in the eighth and Trevor May worked the ninth to earn his first save.

Budding Giants ace Logan Webb (1-1) was uncharacteristically wild and allowed three runs in 3 2/3 shaky innings.

METS 5, GIANTS 4, GAME 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor lined a walk-off single in the 10th after a big stretch by Pete Alonso bailed him out in the top of the inning, and New York beat San Francisco.

Lindor’s single to center against Jarlín García (1-1) scored automatic runner Brandon Nimmo from third.

A half-inning earlier, Lindor’s throw on Thairo Estrada’s grounder pulled Alonso off the bag at first base, apparently allowing Brandon Belt to score. Replays showed Alonso just barely held the base with his right foot, and umpires overruled the safe call. That kept Adam Ottavino (1-0) in line for the win.

BRAVES 3, DODGERS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Fried looked right at home, opening with five perfect innings while pitching Atlanta past Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles-area native, in his sixth career start at Dodger Stadium including playoff games, did not allow a baserunner until Hanser Alberto led off the sixth with a line-drive single.

In seven scoreless innings of work, Fried (1-2) gave up two hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ longtime closer, picked up his third save of the season for the Braves with a perfect ninth.

Travis d’Arnaud jumpstarted the Atlanta offense with a home run in the second to help end the Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak — and their 20-game regular-season winning streak at home that started in August last year.

Walker Buehler (1-1) gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings, losing the matchup of dueling aces.

NATIONALS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 1, GAME 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Victor Robles had Washington’s first hit, an RBI double off Madison Bumgarner with two outs in the fifth inning, and the Nationals beat Arizona in the opener of a doubleheader.

The announced crowd was 9,261, the fewest for a home game without pandemic restrictions since the team moved to Washington from Montreal for the 2005 season.

Josiah Gray (2-1) went 5 1/3 innings for Washington, allowing just one run and three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts against Arizona’s struggling lineup.

Bumgarner (0-1) gave up two unearned runs and two hits in his five innings.

NATIONALS 1, DIAMONDBACKS 0, GAME 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joan Adon became the first Washington starter to finish six innings in 2022, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless as the Nationals swept a doubleheader.

Adon (1-2), a 23-year-old right-hander making his fourth appearance in the majors, gave up three hits and walked two while striking out five.

Victor Robles singled to lead off the sixth against Arizona spot starter Tyler Gilbert (0-1) before coming around to score the lone run on a double by César Hernández.

In the ninth, Tanner Rainey put the first three batters aboard via a walk and two singles, then retired the next three for his third save.

YANKEES 4, TIGERS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Gerrit Cole lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings, and Clarke Schmidt combined with four relievers to pitch three-hit shutout ball and lead New York past Detroit.

Cole matched his career high of five walks and allowed two runs and one hit — a single by Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, his 2,996th hit.

New York’s bullpen got 22 outs without allowing a run. Schmidt (1-2) allowed two hits in 3 1/3 innings for his first major league win.

Wandy Peralta got five outs, Clay Holmes two and Miguel Castro and Aroldis Chapman three each, with Chapman pitching a perfect ninth for his second save.

Tigers starter Tyler Alexander (0-1) gave up two unearned runs, one hit and two walks in one inning.

BREWERS 5, PIRATES 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Corbin Burnes struck out 10 and allowed two runs in seven innings as Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh.

The Brewers had a season-low three hits but won their third straight. The Pirates had a season-low four hits.

Burnes (1-0) gave up four hits and didn’t walk anybody. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his fifth save.

JT Brubaker (0-2) allowed two hits and four runs, two earned, in five innings.

ROCKIES 6, PHILLIES 5

DENVER (AP) — C.J. Cron hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning and Colorado beat Philadelphia.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland agreed to a $64.5 million, five-year contract with his hometown team earlier in the day and left with the lead after five innings. He gave up two runs on six hits and struck out three.

Colorado rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the seventh. Phillies reliever Seranthony Domínguez (1-1) issued a two-out walk to Charlie Blackmon and gave up a single to Kris Bryant. Cron connected off Jeurys Familia to put the Rockies back in front with his sixth home run of the season.

Justin Lawrence (1-0) got the win and Daniel Bard worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

RAYS 6, CUBS 5

CHICAGO (AP) — Wander Franco hit his first homer of the season, a two-run drive to left-center in the third inning, and Tampa Bay held on to beat Chicago.

Cubs rookie Seiya Suzuki drew three walks but his nine-game hitting streak came to an end, leaving him tied with Akinori Iwamura for the longest hitting streak by a Japanese-born player to start a career.

Opener Matt Wisler got the first five outs for the Rays and Josh Fleming (2-1) worked the next 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Andrew Kittredge, the sixth Rays pitcher, retired the final six Chicago batters for his second save.

Justin Steele (1-1) allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings.

RED SOX 2, BLUE JAYS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Connor Wong drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and Boston beat Tampa bay despite getting held to three hits.

Kiké Hernández and Trevor Story had back-to-back doubles in the third for Boston.

Hansel Robles (1-0) threw 1 2/3 hitless innings in relief. Garrett Whitlock pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Wong lofted a flyball to right field against right-hander Yimi Garcia (0-1) that scored Bobby Dalbec, who opened the inning by reaching on an error by shortstop Bo Bichette.

ROYALS 4, TWINS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez homered twice and Hunter Dozier hit another go-ahead home run to lift Kansas City over Minnesota.

Perez homered in the fourth off Chris Archer and tied the score 3-3 in the sixth when he went deep against Tyler Duffey (0-2). Out out later, Dozier hit a tiebreaking home run.

Amir Garrett (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings, combining with four other pitchers for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. Josh Staumont pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many games.

PADRES 6, REDS 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado homered for the second consecutive game, Joe Musgrove pitched into the seventh inning and San Diego handed Cincinnati its eighth straight loss.

Musgrove (2-0) held the Reds to two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Cincinnati starter Reiver Sanmartin (0-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.

MARINERS 6, RANGERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Robbie Ray pitched six strong innings to win his home debut, Eugenio Suárez hit a three-run home run in the first, and Seattle beat Texas.

Ray (2-1) allowed two runs and four hits and struck out four.

Suárez took advantage of first-inning struggles by Texas starter Jon Gray (0-1), who gave up four runs and three hits in five innings.

CARDINALS 5, MARLINS 1

Albert Pujols had two hits and scored twice as St. Louis beat Miami.

Adam Wainwright (2-1) threw 5 2/3 effective innings, allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Tommy Edman tripled, singled and drove in two runs for the Cardinals.

Marlins’ starter Jesús Luzardo (0-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

ANGELS 7, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON (AP) — Jo Adell tied a career high with three hits and Kurt Suzuki and Brandon Marsh drove in two runs each as Los Angeles beat Houston.

Los Angeles starter Patrick Sandoval allowed four hits with an unearned run in four innings. Oliver Ortega (1-1) walked one in two scoreless innings.

Framber Valdez (1-1) was tagged for six runs, eight hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.

ATHLETICS 2, ORIOLES 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Seth Brown hit a two-run double in the sixth inning, Cristian Pache made another spectacular defensive play in center field and Oakland edged Baltimore before its smallest home crowd in 42 years.

A day after their lowest attendance for a home opener without coronavirus restrictions in more than 30 years, the A’s drew 3,748 — the smallest with fans at the Coliseum since 3,180 attended a 6-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 25, 1980.

Elvis Andrus and Christian Bethancourt both had two hits and scored to help Oakland to its seventh win in 10 games after an 0-2 start.

Anthony Santander and Trey Mancini each had two hits for the Orioles, whose $48 million payroll is last in the majors. The A’s are 29th at $58 million.

Zach Logue (1-0) retired four batters to win his major league debut. Zach Jackson got his first career save.

Mike Baumann (1-1) took the loss.

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