DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers lit up Max Scherzer on Wednesday at Comerica Park to sweep a doubleheader against the New York Mets.
Scherzer, 38, returned to Detroit for just the second time since leaving in free agency following the 2014 season. In two previous starts against the Tigers (both as a member of the Washington Nationals), Scherzer struck out 34 batters in 17 innings, allowing just three runs.
Wednesday was a completely different story. The Tigers jumped on the three-time Cy Young winner in the first inning, scoring a pair of runs on two hits and a walk.
Eric Haase added a 382-foot homer to left field in the second, and Matt Vierling blasted one 404 feet after an Akil Baddoo leadoff single in the fourth.
Scherzer was pulled after back-to-back singles by Andy Ibanez and Zach McKinstry with one out in the fourth inning. Ibanez eventually scored, tacking a sixth run onto Scherzer’s line.
In total, Scherzer allowed eight hits, a walk, and six earned runs in just 3.1 innings. He only struck out three batters.
Detroit coasted to an 8-1 victory, giving them two wins over the heavily favored Mets on the day.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Haase homer to right field in the bottom of the first. The Mets rallied back, though, eventually taking a 5-4 lead into the eighth inning.
Haase struck again, though, singling in a pair of runs to put the Tigers ahead 6-5. Alex Lange slammed the door in the ninth to seal one of Detroit’s best wins of the season.
The Tigers and Mets will play one final game Thursday afternoon, with Justin Verlander scheduled to start against Eduardo Rodriguez. The two teams won’t face each other again this season, but maybe Scherzer will get a shot at revenge if they meet in the World Series.
