Max Scherzer stays in ALCS Game 4 after fiery mound visit with Blue Jays manager — and gets rewarded
Max Scherzer lived up to the Mad Max moniker on Thursday night.
And it paid off for the Blue Jays in ALCS Game 4.
After Scherzer got the first two outs against the Mariners in the bottom fifth inning and was sitting at 70 pitches on the night, Blue Jays manager John Schneider came out to the mound for a visit.
When the skipper comes out, that usually spells the end of the night for a pitcher, but Scherzer was fired up and said something emphatically to Schneider.
Whether the Toronto manager was going to pull Scherzer or not, the 41-year-old right-hander stayed in the game and then struck out Mariners slugger Randy Arozarena to end the frame.
And not only that, Scherzer came back out for the sixth inning and got the first two outs — including a punchout of Julio Rodriguez.
He then yielded a walk to Jorge Polanco to end his night after 5 ²/₃ innings.
Even with Polanco scoring on a hit later in the frame, Scherzer finished the night with a solid line, striking out five batters while allowing two earned runs, three hits and two walks.
Most importantly, he left with the Blue Jays in the lead as they look to even the series against Seattle.
Scherzer battled injuries and consistency issues when he last pitched in the postseason in 2023 when he won the World Series with the Rangers.
Before Thursday night, you would have to go back to 2021 when he was with the Dodgers to find a playoff outing in which he pitched at least five innings.
In Game 4, the Blue Jays got a taste of vintage Scherzer right when they needed it most.
