Max Scherzer hit hard, chased early in return from suspension

DETROIT – New York Mets ace Max Scherzer struggled in his return from a suspension, allowing six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers during the second game of a doubleheader.

“I was spraying the ball, especially out of the stretch, and that’s what you expect coming off a long layoff,” Scherzer said. “The number one thing was getting through this start healthy, and we did that. Now we can move forward.”

Detroit won 8-1 to sweep the twinbill.

Scherzer was suspended for 10 games by Major League Baseball on April 20 after getting ejected for having a foreign substance on his pitching hand during his April 19 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was facing the Tigers for the third time since leaving the team after the 2014 season. In the first of those starts, he matched a major league record for a nine-inning game with 20 strikeouts during a May 2016 win in Washington. Then he fanned 14 more over eight innings in his return to Comerica Park.

Scherzer walked Zach McKinstry to start the first inning – the first walk the Tigers had drawn from him since he left town. The right-hander allowed two runs in a 22-pitch inning.

In the second, Scherzer retired Matt Vierling on the first pitch, but Eric Haase followed with his second homer of the doubleheader to make it 3-0. Andy Ibanez followed with a base hit, but Scherzer escaped the inning without further damage.

He then received a drama-free check for sticky substances by first base umpire Adam Beck.

“It was just a normal check,” Scherzer said.

After the Tigers went down in order in the third, Akil Baddoo singled to start the fourth and Vierling followed with a long homer to left-center field. Scherzer struck out Haase, but Ibanez and McKinstry singled, bringing Mets manager Buck Showalter out of the dugout and reliever Zach Muckenhirn into the game.

“Obviously, we were hoping for a little better results, but I think his command was just off,” Showalter said. “That happens with pitchers. I’m sure he’ll be better the next time out.”

Scherzer was given a loud ovation by Tigers fans as he walked off the field, but kept his head down.

“It is hard to enjoy something like that when you pitch badly, but I have always appreciated the support from the fans here,” he said.

Ibanez scored on Riley Greene’s single, adding another run to Scherzer’s pitching line.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.