April 30, 2008

UPDATE: Scherzer moves into D-Backs rotation

PHOENIX (AP) - Max Scherzer of Arizona was unhittable in his first major league action.

At Phoenix, Scherzer came in as a reliever and retired all 13 batters he faced, seven by strikeout, with a fastball that reached 98 mph on the radar gun. It was the most strikeouts ever by a Diamondbacks pitcher in his first big-league game. Arizona lost 6-4 to Houston.

"I was so anxious to get out there, so prepared to finally make my major league debut," Scherzer said. "I'm just happy to go out there and get it out of the way. I felt comfortable out there, not nervous at all. I just tried to go out there and do my thing."

The hard-throwing Scherzer, Arizona's 2006 first-round draft pick out of the University of Missouri, relieved starter Edgar Gonzalez in the third.

Houston manager Cecil Cooper was impressed.

"You've got a guy throwing 98 and he had a nice slider to go with it," Cooper said. "He kept the ball down, and when he needed that extra he went and got it. That's a pretty good arm there. I'm just glad we got six and didn't need any more."

Arizona manager Bob Melvin brushed off questions about whether Scherzer would join the rotation.

"We'll take a look at it later," Melvin said.

Scherzer struck out 38 and walked three, allowing three earned runs, in 23 innings with Triple-A Tucson.