With a chance to clinch a playoff spot, the bottom of the first couldn’t have gone much worse for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Taking the mound for his 16th start of the season, Max Scherzer wasn’t able to escape the first inning against a free-swinging Kansas City Royals lineup.
Scherzer was only able to record two outs on 45 pitches, allowing seven runs, two home runs, seven hits and one walk before being lifted from the game in favour of reliever Braydon Fisher.
The veteran right-hander just couldn’t settle in against the Royals and didn’t record an out until the seventh hitter of the game, when he struck out rookie Jac Caglianone.
It’s only the second time in Scherzer’s career that he has allowed seven runs in a single inning, and it’s only the second start that he was pulled from before recording three outs.
There was some drama along the way as the Royals started the game with a double, a single and another double, bringing up third baseman Maikel Garcia.
Garcia worked a full count before taking a pitch that appeared to catch the corner of the zone, but was called ball four by home-plate umpire James Jean.
Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker ran out to the mound to speak with Scherzer after the questionable call, and took the opportunity to give Jean a piece of his mind on his way back to the dugout. Walker was ejected from the game.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez smacked a three-run homer two pitches later.
The outing raised Scherzer’s ERA to 5.06 on the season, as he surrendered six hard-hit balls to the 10 Kansas City hitters he faced. He has now allowed four or more runs in four of his last five starts.
Toronto needs a win and for two of the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians to lose in order to officially clinch a post-season berth. The Blue Jays will need to author yet another impressive comeback to bring that scenario back into play for Friday night.
