NEW YORK — And there was Max ScherzerTo the thunder of boos, he left the stage sooner than anyone had expected.
Playoff baseball can take you in different directions than a Christie detective. Friday was a nightmarish day for Max Scherzer, the scout and the team. Mets.
Scherzer’s 27th postseason start, his first with New York, was his worst. The light-hitting PadresScherzer was beaten by a team that hit the fewest home runs in the National League playoffs this regular season. He scored seven runs with four long balls. San Diego won 7-1 in Game 1 to push the Mets towards elimination.
On Thursday, general manager Billy Eppler had mentioned factoring Scherzer’s postseason experience into the model when deciding to invest $130 million in his right arm. The reality was that Friday’s events were not related to the model.
Scherzer didn’t look like a typical hitter from the beginning. The first home run was scored by Scherzer on a fastball that was up and away. Josh Bell crushed to left-center field — the rare, opposite-field no-doubter — to put the Mets in a 2-0 first-inning hole. One frame later, Trent GrishamIn a slump that rivals the of Darin RufTo get a solo shot, he parked the fastball in right field.
Scherzer settled down in the middle innings and took seven out of a row. The game was over in the fifth.
