Max Scherzer, hobbled his previous two starts by a right hamstring injury, threw six solid innings Tuesday night and Trea Turner homered on the second pitch of the game as the visiting Washington Nationals edged the New York Mets, 2-1.
The Nationals have won the first two games of the four-game series. The Mets have lost nine of 13.
Scherzer (1-1) first felt discomfort in his hamstring on July 29, when he threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. He lasted just an inning last Wednesday against the Mets but felt good during his between-starts routine and took the mound as scheduled Tuesday.
Scherzer wasn’t at his most effective Tuesday, when he threw 60 pitches in the first two innings and 105 pitches overall, but his fastball was clocked as high as 98 mph, 5-6 mph faster than last Wednesday. He allowed one run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven.
The Mets put two on with one out in the seventh against Javy Guerra, but Tanner Rainey got Jeff McNeil to hit into a double play before throwing a perfect eighth inning. Daniel Hudson followed with a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save.
Turner’s homer off Rick Porcello (1-2) was his first leadoff homer of the season and the 10th of his career. Victor Robles had an RBI single in the second.
Howie Kendrick had three hits for the Nationals while Robles and Turner had two hits each.
The Mets nicked Scherzer in the fourth, when Andres Gimenez tripled with one out and scored on Luis Guillorme’s sacrifice fly. Guillorme and J.D. Davis had two hits each.
The shortstop Gimenez and second baseman Guillorme also combined to start three double plays, including two involving Turner, who hit into two double plays for the first time.
Porcello allowed the two runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out five over six innings.
–Field Level Media
