 compiled 10 strikeouts with one walk and five hits in six innings, setting a major league record with his 30th consecutive start allowing three runs or fewer. The lanky righty topped runner-up Scherzer in Cy Young voting last season - and got the better of him in the win and run columns on this day.Scherzer (0-1) was charged with both of the Mets' runs in 7 2/3 innings, with 12 Ks, three walks and two hits.Scherzer and deGrom are only the second pair of starters in an opening day game to both get to double figures in strikeouts. The other such situation came nearly a half-century ago, when Dave McNally of the Orioles and Sam McDowell of the Indians did it on April 7, 1970.Cano, an eight-time All-Star acquired in a December trade with Seattle, drove a changeup to left-center on Scherzer's 13th pitch of the season. The second baseman became the first Mets player to go deep in his initial at-bat with the club since Mike Jacobs in 2005, and the 10th overall.In the eighth, Scherzer walked a man who scored on Cano's single off reliever Matt Grace. Nationals manager Dave Martinez went with Grace instead of Tony Sipp, the left-hander signed late in spring training precisely for late-game lefty batters such as Cano.These NL East rivals made plenty of offseason changes after both missed the playoffs under rookie skippers in 2018.The Mets got bigger contributions in front of a sellout crowd of 42,263 on a sunny afternoon with temperature at 56 degrees for the start. There was Cano, of course, and closer Edwin Diaz, who came from Seattle in the same trade and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. Diaz led the majors with 57 saves last year.Pete Alonso started at first base for the Mets in his major league debut and singled.The Nats, meanwhile, began life without Harper, who signed a $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.Instead of Harper in center field, there was 21-year-old rookie Victor Robles, who doubled in his first at-bat and made a diving catch in the ninth. Instead of Harper in the heart of the lineup, there was 20-year-old Juan Soto batting cleanup; the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.NUMBERSJake Arrieta (2015-16) held the old multiple-season mark of 29 consecutive starts giving up three or fewer runs. ... Nationals SS Trea Turner stole three bases. ... This was Scherzer's 83rd career game with at least 10 Ks, which leads active players and ranks eighth in major league history, one behind Steve Carlton.TRAINER'S ROOMNationals: INF-OF Howie Kendrick (strained left hamstring) and OF Michael A. Taylor (strained right knee, hip) opened the season on the injured list and stayed in Florida to rehab. ''I don't want to put any timeline on them,'' GM Mike Rizzo said. ''We don't see either of those injuries as catastrophic or real long-term injuries. We're going to have them go at their own pace.'' UP NEXTMets: After Friday's day off, RHP Noah Syndergaard will pitch Game 2 on Saturday. He is 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in five starts at Washington.Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg is 8-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 17 starts against the Mets, his fewest against a division opponent.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Cy Young winners collide as Mets open 2019 at Nationals Two teams that had disappointing seasons in 2018 but feel they are much improved will meet on Opening Day in the nation's capital Thursday afternoon.And as a bonus, the opener between the New York Mets (77-85 last year) and Washington Nationals (82-80) will feature two pitchers who have combined to claim the past three Cy Young Awards in the National League.Reigning champ Jacob deGrom (10-9, league-best 1.70 ERA in 2018) of the Mets will face Washington's Max Scherzer (18-7, 2.53), who won the award in 2016 and 2017. On Tuesday, multiple outlets reported deGrom had agreed to a new five-year, $137.5 million extension with the Mets.Scherzer said one of the things he likes about Opening Day is the military plane flyovers. But once he takes the mound, he is all business."You just go out there and compete," Scherzer said of the Opening Day nod. "You try to put everything together you have been thinking about the whole offseason." "Two of the best," Nationals manager Dave Martinez, a New York City native, said of the pitching matchup. "Max is excited and ready to go." The Nationals, of course, lost All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper to Philadelphia in free agency while picking up starting pitcher Patrick Corbin, second baseman Brian Dozier and catcher Kurt Suzuki.Outfielder Michael A. Taylor and outfielder/infielder Howie Kendrick are banged up and stayed back in Florida. That means Victor Robles is expected to get the start in center field, with veteran Adam Eaton in right and Juan Soto, who had a sensational rookie year, in left field on Opening Day."He has learned a lot," Eaton said of Robles. "He is willing to learn. Both are going to be great players, and they are going to learn a lot this season." The Mets added infielders Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie and catcher Wilson Ramos -- a former National -- and hope their starting pitchers can stay healthy this season."We're ready to go out there and do what we need to do," Mets manager Mickey Callaway told Newsday. "I'm proud of the way the guys battled this spring and played and ran the bases, their approach at the plate. We're ready to go." The Mets are just struggling to get to Washington.The team's flight from Florida to Syracuse, N. Y. -- the new Triple-A home of the Mets' affiliate -- for a workout was delayed by three hours on Monday. For several years the Nationals' top affiliate was in Syracuse, but Fresno is now the Triple-A home of Washington.Even before the flight, some Mets were not happy about going to Syracuse."I don't know whose idea 1/8going to Syracuse 3/8 was, but it's not a smart one," pitcher Noah Syndergaard told reporters in Florida."As Noah said, it's kind of tough to head up there," Jeff McNeil told Newsday. "But it's good for all the Mets fans up there. It's going to promote the team as well. We're going to go up there, we're going to do the workout, and we'll go to D. C. and be ready." Opening Day won't be a picnic for hitters, according to Nationals shortstop Trea Turner."They added a lot of talent in the division," he said. "It is not going to be easy." --Field Level Media
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