The Blue Jays will turn to Max Scherzer in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and then start Shane Bieber in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
In Game 4 of the ALCS vs. the Mariners, Scherzer battled control and his own delivery over 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, one homer, two runs, walking four and fanning five.
Making the 500th start of his MLB career, regular and postseason combined, Scherzer proved that all of his years have mattered. Sure, he was dreadful down the stretch for the Blue Jays and fighting his body, like any 41-year-old starter should be, but his stubbornness was not without reason. Scherzer knew — and convinced everyone around him, too — that he had something left to give to the Blue Jays.
“This is what you play for,†Scherzer said after Toronto’s 8-2 victory. “Youâ€re in the biggest moment of the season right now. These games are must-win, every single one of them. This is what you play for. You work so hard the whole year. You make all of the sacrifices and put all of the work in to get to this moment, to have these types of moments.â€
The 18-year veteran even showed flickers of his past competitive self.
Manager John Schneider approached Scherzer on the mound with two outs in the fifth inning and Randy Arozarena strolling to the dish behind him. Schneider looked like he was approaching a lion. By the time his left cleat stepped on the moundâ€s dirt, Scherzer was shouting at him, raging against the idea that anyone else would decide when this was over.
“I thought he was going to kill me. It was great,†Schneider said. “He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out. Itâ€s not fake. Thatâ€s the thing, this isnâ€t fake. He has that Mad Max persona, and he backed it up tonight.â€
Schneider said heâ€d been waiting for that moment since he and Scherzer had their first Zoom call in the offseason, back when the Blue Jays were still trying to convince the expected future Hall of Famer that any of this was possible. “All of the sudden I saw Schneids coming out and I kind of went, ‘Whoaaa, whoa whoa. Iâ€m not coming out of this ballgame.†I felt too good,†Scherzer said. “We had a little conversation where I basically said that I was willing to stay in the ballgame, just with some other words involved. I knew I was strong. I knew I wanted the ball.â€
Bieber’s last start was in Game 7 of the ALCS this past Monday. Over 3 2/3 innings, he allowed two runs on seven hits, one homer, issued one free pass and notched five strikeouts. In three postseason starts this year, he is 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA, 15 punchouts and three walks over 12 1/3 innings.