ARLINGTON, Texas — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer settled down after a shaky start to win his debut for the American League West-leading Texas Rangers, striking out nine over six innings and getting some 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.