NEW YORK — The dreams of Mets fans were supposed to come true on Friday night. When Max Scherzer signed a three-year, $130 million contract with New York, the wild-card series opener was the type of game Mets fans imagined the future Hall of Famer would dominate, an important moment setting the tone for a team ahead of a playoff run.
Instead, those fantasies were shattered as Scherzer unraveled in his start against the San Diego Padres, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits — including giving up a career-high four home runs — while striking out just four batters in 4⅔ innings pitched in a 7-1 loss by New York.
Hours after Scherzer left the Citi Field mound, the moments of struggle played on a loop in his head. «This is going to be a late night for me,» Scherzer said.
The damage started in the first inning when Padres designated hitter Josh Bell slugged a 419-foot opposite-field home run that scored Jurickson Profar.