NATIONALS
Scherzer to start opener
Max Scherzer will start the Washington Nationals’ opener on April 6 against the New York Mets, not Stephen Strasburg.
Starting a $210 million, seven-year contract, Scherzer will be making his first opening-day start. Strasburg had pitched the last three for the Nationals.
Strasburg could slot in for game 3 if the team stays to its spring training rotation of Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Strasburg, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez.
Scherzer went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA for Detroit last season and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2013. He did not get the opening day start last year, taken by Justin Verlander.
METS
Colon gets nod
Bartolo Colon, not Matt Harvey, has been picked to start the New York Mets’ opener at Washington on April 6.
Harvey is returning from elbow ligament-replacement surgery that has sidelined him since August 2013.
Colon was 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA last year and at 41 will become the oldest opening-day starting pitcher in the major leagues since April 2006, when 43-year-old Jamie Moyer was on the mound for Seattle and 42-year-old Randy Johnson for the New York Yankees.
CUBS
Cubs, rooftop owners battle
CHICAGO — A lawyer for rooftop clubs around Wrigley Field said the Chicago Cubs are illegally trying to drive his clients out of business by constructing a large video board at the stadium.
The claim came Monday in Chicago as U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall heard arguments on whether she should order a halt to construction of the right-field sign that would block several rooftop views.
Lawyer Thomas Lombardo says the Cubs have tried to “bully” his clients into raising ticket prices or selling their clubs. The Cubs currently have a revenue-sharing agreement with the rooftop owners.
Cubs attorney Daniel Laytin says team owners are merely exercising a fundamental right to build on property they own.
Kendall rejected the rooftops clubs’ emergency request earlier this year to halt installation.
PIRATES-RAYS
Burnett struggles
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A.J. Burnett (North Little Rock, Central Arkansas Christian) isn’t fazed by ugly pitching lines in spring training.
The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander feels good about the way he’s throwing the ball and believes he’s on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.
The 38-year-old worked into the fifth inning, and the Pirates hit three home runs Monday during a 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Burnett yielded 5 runs and 3 hits over 4 2/3 innings in his fourth start. He walked 3 and struck out 5, building his pitch count to 78.
“The next one is going to be huge, because you get to that 100 mark no matter what,” Burnett said. “I think it’s going to be in a minor league game, so no matter what, I’ll get to that mark. That’s really more important than anything. … As long as that pitch count keeps building up, we’re going to be where we need to be,” said Burnett, who has a 6.39 ERA in 12 2/3 innings this spring.
Francisco Cervelli, Gorkys Hernandez and Pedro Florimon homered for the Pirates. Wilkin Castillo’s RBI single broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth inning.
METS-MARLINS
Latos rocked
JUPITER, Fla. — Mat Latos gave up seven hits in an eight-run second inning, and the New York Mets routed the Miami Marlins 12-3 Monday.
New York’s first eight batters reached base before David Wright grounded into a double play. Daniel Muno tripled in the inning, Anthony Recker and Ruben Tejada doubled. Michael Cuddyer singled leading off the inning and hit a solo homer for an 9-2 lead, his fifth home run of spring training.
Latros allowed nine runs, eight hits and two walks in three innings.
“It’s a good thing it happened in spring training,” Latos said. “That was borderline embarrassing. We’ll see if we can figure it out.”
Michael Morse homered twice for Miami, a two-run drive in the first off NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and a solo shot in the sixth against Buddy Carlyle. Morse has 14 RBI.
DeGrom gave up 4 hits in 4 innings, struck out 5 and walked 1.
ASTROS-BRAVES
Markakis makes debut
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Nick Markakis had two hits in his spring training debut with the Atlanta Braves, a 14-10 win Monday over the Houston Astros 14-10.
An outfielder recovering from December neck surgery after nine seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Markakis led off the third inning with a double off Scott Feldman and singled in the fourth.
Former-Brave Evan Gattis hit his first home run for the Astros, and Robbie Grossman had three hits.
Eric Young and Zoilo Almonte each had three of the Braves’ 19 hits. Andrelton Simmons drove in four runs, two of with a triple in a five-run fifth off Darin Downs.
Feldman gave up 5 runs, 7 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings.
REDS-WHITE SOX
IF Soto to Chicago
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Infielder Neftali Soto has been traded from the Cincinanti Reds to the Chicago White Sox.
Soto, 26, was a third-round pick in the 2007 amateur draft. He was on Cincinnati’s opening-day roster last year, then was sent to Class AAA Louisville on May 22.
Soto was called up from July 12 to July 19, made four starts and had three hits in 30 at-bats.
The Reds assigned him outright to Louisville after the season. He became a free agent and signed a minor league deal with the Reds in December.
Soto has appeared in four spring training games with the Reds, going 2 for 7.
— The Associated Press