Former teammates Rick Porcello (9-2 http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darnell-savage-jr.-jersey , 3.60) of the Red Sox and Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.04) square off for the first time in the opener of a three-game series.

Porcello and Scherzer spent five seasons together with the Detroit Tigers, reaching the 2012 World Series before losing to the San Francisco Giants.

Since leaving Detroit, Porcello won the 2016 American League Cy Young Award and Scherzer is making a strong case for his third straight National League Cy Young. Both have been aware this matchup was coming.

“Looking forward to it. We’ve been texting back and forth,” Porcello told the Boston Globe. “We’ve had a good time with it and I’m sure we’ll both get a kick about going against each other once the game starts.”

Scherzer is looking for his first win since June 5 Elgton Jenkins Jersey , though he’s pitched well enough to win each of his past four starts, allowing two earned runs or less in each outing. The Nationals are 1-3 in those starts and were shut out in each loss.

“I think everybody’s been punched in the face before of not having success,” Scherzer told The Washington Post after his last start, a 1-0 loss to the Marlins. “This is the big leagues; they are going to keep coming down your throat and keep attacking you.”

Scherzer, Washington’s only dependable starter of late http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jace-sternberger-jersey , is 4-4 with a 6.05 ERA in 10 starts versus Boston.

Porcello allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings last time out in a no-decision against the Angels.

He’s 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his lone start against Washington, an eight-inning effort in April of 2015.

The Nationals (42-40) squandered an early 3-0 lead in Philadelphia on Sunday and fell 4-3 in 13 innings on Andrew Knapp’s pinch-hit walk-off home run as Washington dropped a second straight weekend series to their division rivals.

Washington managed only four hits in eight innings against the Philadelphia bullpen in the finale.

“Offensively, we’ve got to do more,” outfielder Adam Eaton told The Post. “That’s plain and simple. We score early and then we can’t coast. We can’t take our foot off the accelerator. We got to keep going.”

The Nationals are now 6-15 in their past 21 games and fell six games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

In each of their last nine losses, they’ve scored three or fewer runs.

“We’ve got to start striking out less Dexter Williams Jersey ,” manager Dave Martinez told MASN, “putting the balls in play, driving in runs when we have the ability to drive in runs.”

Boston (56-29) finished a three-game series against the Yankees on a forgettable note Sunday night, getting routed 11-1 behind starter David Price as New York blasted six home runs, including three by Aaron Hicks.

Price allowed eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox dropped two of three and travel south percentage points behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Only hours after the Texans announced they have fired Brian Gaine as General Manager Max Scharping Jersey , the Jets hired Joe Douglas as their G.M.The team announced the agreement with Douglas on Friday night, and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports it’s a six-year deal.Douglas was on the Texans’ list of candidates last year when they hired Gaine, but the Eagles had denied Houston permission to interview Douglas.Because of his close relationship with Jets coach Adam Gase, Douglas was the favorite to land the Jets’ job as soon as they fired Mike Maccagnan. Douglas initially interviewed with the Jets on Sunday.Douglas spent the past three seasons with the Eagles after spending one year with the Bears in 2015 when Gase was in Chicago.Douglas worked for the Ravens for 16 years before making the move to Chicago. He was the team’s national scout when they drafted linebacker C.J. Mosley in the first round of the 2014 draft. Mosley made the move to the Jets as a free agent this offseason.The Jets also interviewed Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot and Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly.