Lefty Scott Kazmir dazzled in his Astros debut on Friday night, tossing seven scoreless innings against the Royals, the American League’s best team by record. He gave up three hits and a walk while striking out three on 91 pitches in a 4-0 victory.
The Astros acquired Kazmir on Thursday in exchange for pitcher Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham, both minor leaguers.
Kazmir slots in nicely behind Dallas Keuchel, giving the Astros a nice 1-2 punch. He entered Friday’s start with a 2.38 ERA and a 101/35 K/BB ratio over 109 2/3 innings spanning 18 starts. It’s a stunning career turnaround, considering Kazmir was playing in the Atlantic League with the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2012.
