Max Scherzer delivered a masterful performance on the mound, leading the New York Mets to an 11-1 rout of the struggling Houston Astros. Scherzer's eight-inning gem, fueled by a rediscovered slider, marked his longest outing with the Mets and snapped a seven-game losing streak against Houston.

Scherzer attributed his success to a recent adjustment to his slider. After tweaking his changeup following a subpar outing against Atlanta, he applied a similar adjustment to his slider, which unfortunately backfired in his next start against the Yankees. For the Astros game, he reverted to his original slider grip, and the results spoke for themselves: four hits, eight strikeouts, and only one run allowed.

Francisco Lindor provided the offensive firepower for the Mets, smashing a three-run homer and driving in five runs overall. Daniel Vogelbach also contributed significantly, launching a solo shot and adding three RBIs. Vogelbach's resurgence comes after a six-game benching.

The Mets' victory was their first against the Astros since 2014 and broke an eight-game losing streak in Houston dating back to 2011. The win also provided a much-needed respite for the Mets' overworked bullpen. Mets manager Buck Showalter emphasized the importance of Scherzer's lengthy outing, saying, "We were in real need to get deep in that game, so for him to go eight innings, that was pretty special in a lot of ways."

On the other side, Astros rookie starter Hunter Brown struggled, surrendering a career-high six runs in 5 2/3 innings. Yainer Diaz's solo home run was one of the few bright spots for Houston, who have now dropped five consecutive games, their longest skid of the season. The Astros’ offense has sputtered recently, scoring only one run in three of their last five contests, coinciding with the absence of star slugger Yordan Alvarez due to injury. Astros manager Dusty Baker acknowledged Scherzer's dominance, particularly his slider, saying, "He always had a good slider and you’ve got to stay off of that slider because he can throw one over the plate and then he can throw one off the plate. And it was the slider that set up everything else tonight."

Prior to the game, the Astros honored former ace Justin Verlander, now with the Mets, presenting him with his 2022 World Series ring. Verlander, a key contributor to Houston's 2017 and 2022 championships, expressed his gratitude for his time with the organization. He is slated to face his former team on Tuesday night.

In the late innings, Mets catcher Francisco Álvarez was struck on the hand by a foul ball. Although X-rays were negative, his status for Tuesday's game remains uncertain.