SEATTLE — The way Max Scherzer sees it, these games are special every time.
His first-ever post-season start came 14 years ago against a Yankees team that featured Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, now studio analysts for FOX, Russell Martin, who threw out the first pitch before Game 1 of the ALDS, and Andruw Jones, whose son, Druw, is now a Diamondbacks prospect.
Scherzer shut the Yankees down that day in 2011, helping the Tigers even the ALDS and ultimately win the series. Nearly a decade and a half later, he has a chance to even another series, and while experience has changed Scherzer’s perspective on many things, it hasn’t diminished his excitement for what’s next.
“I love it,” he said. “This is what you play for. You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the post-season. Every game in the post-season’s a must-win, so when you step on the field in these situations, you’ve got to bring it — you’ve got to have your A game.”
Thursday night at T-Mobile Park, Scherzer will have the chance to add to a post-season resume that includes a 3.78 ERA in 143 innings on the way to two World Series rings. With the Blue Jays trailing the LCS 2-1 it’s not technically a must-win game, but it’s still pivotal. Another win would put the Blue Jays just two wins away from the World Series, while a loss would put them a win away from elimination.
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Watch the Blue Jays in the ALCS on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays will face the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the ALCS with a chance to tie the series on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT. Catch the game on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+.
Within the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, there’s trust in Scherzer.
“I didn’t know him 15 years ago,” Davis Schneider said after the Blue Jays’ Game 3 win. “But I feel like he’s been the same guy ever since he debuted. That competitiveness that he has and his stuff is so electric. He’s as good as anyone when he’s on the mound and I’m confident he’s going to pitch a gem.”
“I’ve seen him in that kind of mode,” added Myles Straw. “And, I don’t think there’s going to be anyone more prepared.”
Elsewhere in the visiting clubhouse, Eric Lauer agreed.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s always fun to watch him flip that switch into game mode. He’s been doing it a long time. He’s unlike any other pitcher, and you expect great things.”
Granted, Scherzer struggled down the stretch. In his final 25 regular-season innings, he allowed 25 earned runs. And while fellow starter Chris Bassitt says he and Scherzer both “had to start games when we didn’t feel good” down the stretch, Scherzer explains his struggles differently.
“I was pitching bad,” he said. “But I have used this time to try to get fully healthy, get everything right, and get everything the way I can get my body fully healthy to go pitch as well as I can.”
Scherzer’s last appearance came Sept. 24 against the Red Sox, when he allowed four runs in five innings. Since then, he and Bassitt have stayed fresh by throwing simulated games, so he’s stretched out to pitch a full start, if needed.
Given the circumstances, the Blue Jays likely don’t need Scherzer to cover five or six innings, and it’s possible he won’t even go twice through the Seattle order. Down 2-1 in the series, the Blue Jays must do everything they can to keep the score close, including turning to the bullpen early should Scherzer’s stuff or command appear sub-standard.
Wednesday’s 13-4 win allowed the Blue Jays to keep their bullpen rested and ready, allowing manager John Schneider to rely more heavily on his relievers in Game 4, if needed. Of course the hope is that Scherzer can hold his own — certainly possible for a pitcher who rattled off five consecutive quality starts at one point this summer.
“He’s a Hall of Famer, so he knows what to expect,” said Addison Barger. “He’ll be prepared. We trust that.”
Along with the preparation, Scherzer knows himself well after all these years and uses that to his advantage. Early in his career, someone told the right-hander to stay calm.
“Yeah, I’m not going to stay calm,” recalled Scherzer, intense as ever at age 41. “That’s not good advice for me. No, you’ve got to kind of match the moment. You’ve got to know who you are, who you are when you go out there, and match that type of moment with your adrenaline. So that’s how I pitch.”
Eighteen years into his big-league career, he feels the highs and lows of a series like anyone else. You don’t earn the nickname ‘Mad Max’ by staying even-keeled at all times. But over time, Scherzer has realized how quickly things can change in baseball, and he carries that knowledge with him at all times.
“Now I still ride the roller coaster, I just realize things can change on a dime,” he said. “So even though we all ride the roller coaster in some form or fashion, I’m just more even-keeled in just understanding. I’ve seen so much happen where teams are playing great and then teams are playing bad and (then) teams are playing great (again).”
When the Blue Jays arrived in Seattle, they were playing poorly. One game later, they’re playing great. Scherzer, of all people, knows that could flip again within the span of a couple of innings. But with the Blue Jays’ season hanging in the balance Thursday, he has a chance to make sure it doesn’t.
“It never gets old,” he said.
