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In five Grapefruit League starts this Spring, 2016-17 NL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer has given up nine hits (five of them home runs) and eight runs total, walking three and striking out 27 in 19 IP, over which he’s held opposing hitters to a combined .138 AVG.
Scherzer makes his final start before Opening Day this afternoon when the Nationals take on the Miami Marlins in West Palm Beach, FL’s Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Last time out, against the same Fish he’s facing today, Scherzer got lit up, with the Nats’ NL East rivals connecting for six hits (three of them home runs) and six runs total in five innings of work in which he walked one (the opposing pitcher), and struck out six.
He talked after that outing about getting knocked around actually being a good thing as he tries to get ready for the season opener next week.
“I actually like that I got hit around,” Scherzer explained. “That was good. So much of Spring Training so far I’ve been pitching out of the windup, and I haven’t been able to pitch out of the stretch.
“You need one of these outings to know how to keep navigating a lineup and having to work through innings. You can learn from this and it helps build you for the regular season, so the only thing I’m mad about today is walking the pitcher. That’s the only thing I’m mad about.”
Scherzer will try to finish up the Spring on a more positive note this afternoon when he takes on the Marlins again. Radio only this afternoon and it’s the Fish feed via MLB.com.
HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP VS THE MARLINS FOR TODAY’S GAME:
#Nats vs #Marlins Updated: Eaton LF, Turner SS, Harper RF, Adams 1B, Montero C, Goodwin CF, Difo 2B, Reynolds 3B, Scherzer RHP
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) March 24, 2018