ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer settled down after a shaky start to win his debut for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, striking out nine over six innings and getting help from his new teammates as they beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Thursday.
Four of Chicago’s first five batters reached base in a three-run first inning when Scherzer (10-4) threw 37 pitches. The White Sox then had three singles in the second, though Scherzer benefitted from a double-play grounder and an inning-ending strikeout to prevent any more runs.
Scherzer, acquired from the New York Mets in a trade over the weekend and signed through next season, allowed seven singles and walked two. The right-hander retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced, with seven of his strikeouts coming in that span. A week after his 39th birthday, he threw 70 of 105 pitches for strikes, with 21 of those swing-and-miss strikes.
Mitch Garver led off the Rangers’ fourth against Touki Toussaint (1-4) with a homer that tied it at 3. Three batters later, Marcus Semien homered for the second game in a row to put Texas ahead to stay.
Will Smith worked the ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.
PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 2
MIAMI (AP) — Michael Lorenzen threw a season-high eight innings of two-run ball in his Phillies debut as Philadelphia beat Miami.
Acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, Lorenzen (6-7) scattered six hits and struck out five.
J.T. Realmuto homered off Johnny Cueto (0-3) and singled after a bruised right hand forced the Phillies’ star catcher to miss the last two games. Bryce Harper had two hits for Philadelphia, which won three in the four-game series against its NL East and wild-card rivals.
Seranthony Dominguez relieved Lorenzen and pitched the ninth for his second save.
Miami’s Luis Arraez singled in four at-bats and his major league-leading batting average dropped to .377. Bryan De La Cruz’ hit a solo homer in the seventh for the Marlins.
ROYALS 9, METS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer tossed eight innings of three-hit ball, Bobby Witt Jr. and Drew Waters hit homers, and the suddenly hot Kansas City Royals blew out the free-falling New York Mets to wrap up their second straight series sweep.
The last-place Royals had won just four of their first 33 series this season, but squeaked out three wins over Minnesota before taking three from the Mets, a club they had never swept in franchise history.
Singer (7-8) allowed singles in the second, fourth and fifth and didn’t walk a batter while cruising through the New York lineup. He did not allow a run while striking out four and throwing exactly 100 pitches.
Carlos Carrasco (3-6) allowed all six runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings. Francisco Lindor provided the Mets’ only offense with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth.
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