Max Scherzer throws 5 scoreless innings in 3-time Cy Young winners season debut for the Ranger

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Max Scherzer couldn't wait to finally get back on the mound for the Texas Rangers. The three-time Cy Young Award winner also knew when he had done enough in his season debut. Scherzer retired the first 13 batters he faced, and 15 of 16 overall, over five scorele s innings in the over the Kansas City Royals. Everything from a baseball standpoint was telling me to go back out there. You know, Im pitching well, Im throwing the ball well, Scherzer said. I just dont know how Im going to recover from this. ... I was feeling my forearm kind of fatigued. The 39-year-old Scherzer hadnt started a game for the Rangers since Game 3 of the World Series on Oct. 30, because of back tightne s. He had surgery in mid-December to repair a herniated Nick Allen Jersey disk in his lower back, then during his rehab dealt with a nerve i sue that was diagnosed and still an i sue after he The only Royals batter to reach against him was MJ Melendez, who had a ground-rule double with one out in the fifth. Scherzer struck out four without a walk while throwing 39 of his 57 pitches for strikes. Ill be honest, we werent sure exactly where he was. ... It just makes you appreciate how good this man is," manager Bruce Bochy said. It shows the true veteran he is, Texas shortstop Corey Seager said. Just all around a really good outing, big morale boost for our whole team. Reigning champion Texas (37-40) already had a 3-0 lead when Jos Urea replaced him on the mound to start the sixth inning, and finished off the teams second consecutive shutout win. Scherzer, who turns 40 on July 27, needed only 27 pitches to get through the first three innings. He then had back-to-back 15-pitch innings before coming out of the game after a conversation in the dugout with Bochy and pitching coach Mike Maddux. I think theres a notion out there that I always fight to stay in ballgames, and theres some pretty good clips of me doing that, Scherzer said. Theres probably 20 other times where Im actually telling the manager Im coming out, I need to come out of the ballgame. ... Im very aware of my arm. Im very aware of where Im at, and what I can and cant do. I know youre going to introduce more risk if I continue to go back out there. And so, you know, we have to minimize risk at this point. His fourth and final strikeout Sunday was the 3,371st in his career to match Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux for 11th on MLBs career list the four-time Cy Young winner who is the brother of the Texas pitching coach. Scherzer is second among active pitchers with his strikeouts, his 215 wins and 449 starts, trailing Justin Verlander in each of those categories. After the deadline trade last summer that sent him from the New York Mets to Texas, Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts for the Rangers before being in his shoulder. He returned to make two starts in the AL Championship Series, then made his World Series appearance. It was Scherzers first regular-season start since Sept. 12, when he threw 5 1/3 scorele s innings at Toronto. Scherzer struck out 17 over 11 innings and had a 4.91 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. The first was on April 24, but he was then sidelined by the nerve i sue until the other two on June 9 and 15. It was just fun to get back out there and compete, he said. Be on the mound, and being in sync with the game, with the flow of the game." Jim Mudcat Grant Jersey