Mets Beat Nationals 7-3 in Max Scherzer's Return to Washington

Mets RHP Max Scherzer (Photo Credits to Tommy Gilligan-USA Today Sports) The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 in Washington D.C. for their second consecutive win and improved their record to 2-0. The offense was held scoreless for the first two innings, but in the top of the third 2B Jeff McNeil hit a solo homer. In the following inning, SS Francisco Lindor led off with a walk and two batters later 3B Eduardo Esbocar doubled. DH Robinson Cano followed with a two-run single. In the next inning, CF Brandon Nimmo led off with a triple and RF Starling Marte followed with a RBI double. In thw top of the sixth, LF Mark Canha led off with a single and then 2B Jeff McNeil reached on an infield single. Catcher Tomas Nido then moved Canha and McNeil to third and second with a sacrifice bunt and Marte capped off his stellar night with a two-run single. After a scoreless top of the seventh and eighth innings, 1B Pete Alonso led off the top of the ninth with a double and Escobar then walked. Pinch-hitter Dom Smith and Canha struck out, but then McNeil tacked on an insurance run with a RBI single. RHP Max Scherzer made his Met debut and started out well with a scoreless bottom of the first, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the secod. Scherzer hit 1B Josh Bell and then gave up a single to catcher Keibert Ruiz. LF Yadiel Hernandez then hit a sacrifice fly but Scherzer didn't allow any more runs in the inning. Scherzer had a scoreless bottom of the third, but in the bottom of the fourth he gave up a lead-off he gave up a lead-off single to DH Nelson Cruz and a two-run homer to Bell. Scherzer settled down after that with scoreless innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings and was then taken out. His final line was 6 innings, 3 runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. He didn't have his best stuff, but he fought through it and kept his team in the game. He picked up his first win. RHP Drew Smith followed with a scoreless bottom of the seventh. RHP Seth Lugo threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth. RHP Sean Reid-Foley closed it out with a scoreless bottom of the ninth. The Mets next game is at the Nationals tomorrow night April 9 at 7:05 p.m.