DETROIT — Tigers fans have an appreciation for great players in history, so it was no surprise to see fans at Comerica Park on their feet to give Mets ace Max Scherzer an ovation on his way off the mound he once ruled as a Cy Young winner for Detroit. The surprise was that it happened with one out in the fourth inning Wednesday night.
What was expected to be a trip down memory lane with one of the best pitchers in Tigers history instead became a drubbing by a young, aggressive lineup of Tigers hitters who would love to lead this team back to the success they enjoyed behind Scherzer a decade ago. Eric Haase’s second home run of the day and Matt Vierling’s two-run blast led a six-run Tigers onslaught on Scherzer en route to an 8-1 win and a doubleheader sweep.
The last time Scherzer gave up this many runs at Comerica Park, the soon-to-be American League champion Royals tagged the then-Royals for 10 runs in four-plus innings on June 17, 2014. It was one of the rare blemishes of his contract year, when his 18 wins tied for the AL lead and helped Detroit land its most recent postseason berth.