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LOS ANGELES – Max Scherzer’s Dodgers debut included three strikeouts by Jose Altuve and ended with a recall.
It was, in other words, as advertised.
Scherzer pitched seven two-run innings against the powerful Houston Astros on Wednesday night, scattering five hits, hitting a walk and striking out 10 batters while propelling the Dodgers to a 7-5 win over a team vilified by most of their Fans.
Scherzer – throwing in front of another electric, hostile, sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium – allowed Michael Brantley a first inning homerun but quickly settled in afterwards, striking out the next nine hitters in order. He started the seventh inning with 89 shots and quickly got Kyle Tucker to work, but he came back to take out Robel Garcia and Jason Castro.
His 109th throw was a 96 mph fastball past a swaying Chas McCormick, ending the half inning and causing 52,274 fans to stand up to implore a recall. Scherzer obliged by coming out of the dugout from third base and waving his hand.
Scherzer, 37, had 10 swings and misses on a fastball averaging 95.2 mph, his season’s highest average fastball speed, and recorded the 102nd game with a double-digit takedown of his career, the fifth greatest in major league history. His ERA is now 2.75 to 118 innings in 2021.
One round after Scherzer’s exit, Joe Kelly, who got into the heart of the rivalry by throwing near Carlos Correa’s header last season, offered Altuve his fourth strike of the game, for the biggest delight of the Dodgers fans in attendance. It was only the second game of four strikes in Altuve’s 11-year career.
The Astros quickly cut their deficit in half against Dodgers closest Kenley Jansen in the ninth, securing a two-point homerun from Kyle Tucker with no takedowns. But Jansen returned to take out Garcia, Castro and batter Jake Meyers, giving the Dodgers their 65th win this season. The Astros and Dodgers have split their streak to four games this season, and the Dodgers have outscored them by just three points.
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