Browsing: Scherzer

SEATTLE — Mad Max nearly had a month to fume, seethe and boil as he waited for his October opportunity.

Finally given the ball in the playoffs, he shut down the Seattle Mariners — and his own manager, too.

A fiery Scherzer turned back the clock with his vintage pitching performance and Andrés Giménez homered and drove in four runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Seattle 8-2 to even the American League Championship Series at two games apiece.

The 41-year-old Scherzer, left off the Division Series roster against the New York Yankees while dealing with neck pain, showed he still had plenty left in the tank by allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

“This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You work so hard the whole year, make all the sacrifices, put all the work in to get to this moment to have these types of moments to be able to win in the postseason.â€

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his fifth playoff homer for the Blue Jays, who have outscored the Mariners 21-6 in Seattle after losing the first two games at home.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series has Kevin Gausman scheduled to start for Toronto against Game 1 winner Bryce Miller.

Scherzer earned his eighth postseason win and first since the 2019 World Series for Washington against Houston. Making his 500th major league start, regular season and postseason combined, he became the oldest pitcher to start a postseason game since Jamie Moyer was 45 with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.

Moyer, who spent 11 years with the Mariners from 1996-2006, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday.

Scherzer yielded three hits, one of which was a solo home run by Josh Naylor in the second inning. But the veteran right-hander settled in from there, even picking a runner off first base for the first time since 2013, and was not removed until manager John Schneiderâ€s second mound visit.

With two outs in the fifth, Schneider approached Scherzer on the field and the three-time Cy Young Award winner told his skipper — in no uncertain terms — he had no interest in coming out of the game at that point.

“I thought he was going to kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out,†Schneider said with a smile. “He has this Mad Max persona, but he backed it up tonight.â€

Scherzer said he was busy thinking about the sequence of pitches he wanted to throw to Randy Arozarena.

“And all of a sudden I see Schneids coming out and it kind of caught me off guard,†Scherzer explained. “Thatâ€s just one of those moments where I know I wanted the ball. I knew the situation of the game. I wanted the ball and I basically told him that in a little bit different language.â€

Schneider left Scherzer in and the eight-time All-Star promptly struck out Arozarena swinging at a curveball.

“When a Hall of Famer like this tells you heâ€s good, you ought to leave him in the game,†Guerrero said. “And he showed heâ€s good.â€

It was one of five strikeouts for Scherzer, who pounded his glove in excitement.

“I tried to stay away from him,†teammate George Springer said. “You donâ€t really want to get in Maxâ€s way, so you kind of just let Max be Max. It was entertaining, for sure.â€

Said Schneider: “Iâ€ve been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound. I think at that point thereâ€s numbers, thereâ€s projections, thereâ€s strategy, and thereâ€s people. So I was trusting people.â€

The Blue Jays†offense, meanwhile, picked up where it left off after scoring 13 runs in Game 3. Giménez hit a two-run homer in the third inning for the second consecutive day, this one off starter Luis Castillo to give Toronto a lead it didnâ€t relinquish. The Blue Jays tacked on another run in the inning when reliever Gabe Speier walked in a run.

Toronto added to its advantage in the fourth on an RBI double from Springer, who came around to score on a wild pitch by Matt Brash. Guerrero, who singled earlier in the game, smacked an opposite-field homer to right in the seventh off Eduard Bazardo.

Guerrero leads the majors with five homers in these playoffs — breaking the Blue Jays record for one postseason that he had shared with José Bautista (2015).

Giménez provided more insurance in the eighth with a two-run single up the middle that deflected off reliever Emerson Hancockâ€s glove.

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Miller has a 2.61 ERA in two playoff starts this October while Gausman, a two-time All-Star, is 1-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 career postseason games.

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The Toronto Blue Jays had some fun in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners with the unc memes featuring Max Scherzer, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco.

Following their 8-2 win over Seattle, the Blue Jays posted the graphic with the age and experience of all three legends from their sport and captioned it, “the Unc-tion did NOT disappoint” with the saluting emoji.

There were plenty of jokes leading up to the Thursday night NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals featuring Rodgers and Flacco as the starting quarterbacks.

Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, dubbed the quarterback matchup the “Icy Hot Bowl” earlier in the week. The NFL game turned out to be a thriller, with Flacco throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 33-31 upset win.

Scherzer wasn’t even certain to make a start in the postseason. He was left off Toronto’s roster for the ALDS against the New York Yankees because of his 5.19 ERA during the regular season.

The Blue Jays tabbed Scherzer, whose last appearance was on Sept. 24, to be their Game 4 starter in Seattle trailing 2-1 in the series. He answered the call with two runs allowed in 5.2 innings to help the team get the victory and even the series at two games apiece.

If this ends up being the last game for Scherzer in 2025, he will be going out on a high note.

The Blue Jays have rebounded after losing the first two games against the Mariners at home. The two teams will play Game 5 in Seattle on Friday at 6:08 p.m. ET before the series shifts back to Toronto.

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SEATTLE — Three Cy Young Awards. Two no-hitters. Eight All-Star games. Two World Series championships.

Max Scherzer has done it all, seen it all, won it all. The 41-year-old future first-ballot Hall of Famer has accomplished virtually everything a pitcher could possibly dream of on a baseball field.

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Except for this.

On Thursday in the bottom of the third inning of ALCS Game 4, Mariners second baseman Leo Rivas drew a walk against Scherzer to lead off the frame. The Blue Jays had just staked Scherzer to a 3-1 lead, but Rivas reaching base as the No. 9 hitter presented a golden opportunity for the top of the Mariners†lineup to rally their way back into the ballgame. And Scherzer, who had a 10.20 ERA in four September starts and hadnâ€t pitched since Sept. 24, was expected to be on a short leash at the first sign of trouble. Randy Arozarena skied one to left field for the first out, but then MVP candidate Cal Raleigh strode to the plate to raise the stakes.

After two pitches, the count was 1-1. Rivas took his lead at first. The pitch clock ticked down. One bad pitch to Raleigh, and the game could be tied. Scherzer came set, readied and fired … to first base.

With Rivas floating off the bag, Scherzer whipped around and threw to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who snapped a tag down on Rivas as he dove back. First-base umpire D.J. Reyburn initially ruled Rivas safe, but replay review initiated by a Toronto challenge revealed that Guerreroâ€s tag was in time, and Rivas was out.

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It was the first time Scherzer had picked off a baserunner in the postseason.

With the bases suddenly empty, Raleigh seemed a lot less daunting. And two pitches later, Scherzer sat down the star catcher, coaxing a hapless wave at a curveball for strike three to end the inning. The moment marked a pivotal momentum shift for Toronto en route to an 8-2 victory that evened the series at two games apiece.

“I got the pick-off call from the PitchCom and just tried to wait out the clock as long as I could and then make a good snap throw. It wasn’t my best throw, but obviously, I put it in the right spot, so Vladdy could get the tag,†Scherzer said afterward. “That was a big turning point in the game to allow me to stay aggressive at them.â€

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Said Toronto manager John Schneider postgame: “The thing about Max is he really understands the game. I think when the disengagement rules kind of came in, he was always a guy that kind of just lobbed the ball over to first, didn’t really care about the running game … but it’s something that he’s worked on. He’s 41, and he’s still working on his craft.â€

In some respects, the fact that this rally-squashing pickoff was a first-time October feat for Scherzer isnâ€t especially surprising. He has only eight career pickoffs in 2,963 regular-season innings. The last time he picked off a runner was Aug. 30, 2016, and that was Freddy Galvis dancing off second base. The last time Scherzer picked off a runner at first was Sept. 15, 2013.

Pickoffs have never been a primary part of his profile — with good reason. Rarely throughout his legendary career has Scherzer needed to worry much about controlling the running game. For one, prime Scherzer wasn’t allowing an amount of traffic on the bases that would require such strategies. And even when batters did reach, Scherzer was often dominant enough to make the pitches to navigate out of trouble, rather than trying to eliminate baserunners via pickoff.

But considering the sizable sample — Scherzerâ€s 17 outs recorded in Game 4 brought his career playoff total to 148 2/3 innings, moving him ahead of Whitey Ford and John Lackey into 10th on the all-time postseason innings list — itâ€s remarkable that never before had he nabbed a napping runner in October.

The pickoff stood out as the most out-of-character moment for Scherzer in Game 4, but everything else about his outing was entirely on brand — and reflective of his longstanding reputation as the ultimate competitor. It wasnâ€t the smoothest start to the evening, with Scherzer allowing a solo blast to Josh Naylor to open the scoring in the second inning. But much like Shane Bieber the night before, Scherzer got better as the game went along. His stuff was crisp — his 96.5-mph fastball to Raleigh in the first was the hardest pitch he has thrown since June 24, 2023 — and his command and execution of his secondary offerings improved as the outing progressed.

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The pinnacle of Scherzerâ€s performance came in the fifth inning, when Arozarena came to the plate with two outs and a runner on first. Hard-throwing reliever Louis Varland was warming up. Even with a 5-1 lead and Scherzer at only 70 pitches, it felt like a sensible time for a manager to make a pitching change, especially with the top of Seattleâ€s lineup preparing to face Scherzer a third time. But as Schneider departed the dugout and headed toward the mound, it became clear that Scherzer had no interest in exiting the game.

“It was awesome,†Schneider said afterward. “I thought he was going to kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out.â€

Once Schneider arrived on the hill, Scherzer began to state his case with ferocity.

“I understood where the game state was, knew how I wanted to attack, and then all of a sudden, I saw Schneids coming out, and I kind of went, ‘Woah, woah, woah, I’m not coming out of this ball game. I feel too good,â€â€ Scherzer said postgame. “So we had a little conversation that basically I wanted to stay in the ball game, but just with some other words involved. I just knew I was strong. I knew I wanted the ball. I knew I could get outs in this situation. I just wanted to stay in. I wanted it.â€

After the animated insistence from Scherzer that he wasnâ€t going anywhere, Schneider retreated to the dugout. Four pitches later, Arozarena did the same, having flailed at a curveball for strike three. In completing the fifth, Scherzer ensured himself the chance to record the win, which he ultimately did, marking his first postseason win since Game 1 of the 2019 World Series.

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“I’ve been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound,†Schneider said. “I think at that point, there’s numbers, there’s projections, there’s strategy, and there’s people. So I was trusting people. I think in that moment, you kind of relive every conversation I’ve had with him over the course of the year, and I trusted him to make pitches.â€

After that third out, it wouldâ€ve been entirely reasonable for Schneider to pull the plug and guarantee Scherzer end his outing on a good note. But how the pitcher looked — and how he continued to talk in the dugout — gave the Blue Jays manager the confidence to send Scherzer back out for the sixth against Seattleâ€s best bats.

“When a guy is in it, when a guy is in the arena performing and doing well, I’m going to trust him to continue to do it,†Schneider said.

And once again, Scherzer rewarded his skipper, inducing a flyout from Raleigh and striking out Julio Rodriguez with a wicked slider. After a walk to Jorge Polanco, Scherzer was finally finished, making way for a quartet of Jays relievers to record the final 10 outs.

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“He lives for this. You have to respect that, and you have to appreciate that,†Schneider said. “… That’s why he’s going to the Hall of Fame.â€

At 41 years, 81 days old, Scherzer became the oldest pitcher to start a postseason game since eternal southpaw Jamie Moyer (45 years, 342 days) took the ball for the Phillies in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series. Moyer was also in the building Thursday, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. A member of the Mariners†Hall of Fame after spending 11 of his 25 major-league seasons with Seattle, Moyer received a warm welcome from the sold-out crowd of 46,981 — an ovation that turned out to be one of the loudest cheers of the night from the home fans.

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Because as Scherzerâ€s vintage performance unfolded, the Blue Jays’ bats picked up right where they left off in their 18-hit, 13-run showing in Game 3. Toronto knocked Seattle starter Luis Castillo out in the third, with shortstop Andres Gimenez delivering an unlikely home run for the second game in a row to seize a 2-1 lead. The Jays continued to add on against some of the top Mariners relievers, tagging lefty Gabe Speier with two more runs, scoring on a wild pitch from Matt Brash and getting another humongous swing from Guerrero for a solo homer off Eduard Bazardo. Addison Barger — making his first start in right field since Sept. 6 — was the star on defense, throwing out Naylor at third to quell a Mariners rally in the sixth and making a diving catch to rob Rivas of extra bases to end the seventh.

For the second straight night, the Blue Jays looked like the superior ballclub in every facet. And by evening the series and ensuring the action will return to Rogers Centre for Game 6 (at least), they reclaimed the home-field advantage they squandered earlier in the series. The ALCS now effectively shrinks to a best-of-three, beginning Friday in Game 5, with a pitching rematch between veteran Kevin Gausman and 27-year-old Bryce Miller. These two right-handers were both mostly good in Game 1, with Miller getting the edge by completing six frames while Gausman surrendered the lead in his sixth inning of work. Even so, Game 5 would seem to favor Toronto, based on Gausmanâ€s more substantial track record and how the Jays†offense has been clicking the past two games.

While the Blue Jays have battled back to make this a tremendously compelling series, itâ€s difficult to know what to expect moving forward. Both teams have exhibited strong evidence that theyâ€re the class of the American League. Both teams have floundered in ways that make it difficult to understand how they got this far. Thatâ€s a credit to both ballclubs for showing how good they can be at their best, and it makes it awfully difficult to know which version of them will show up in any given game.

But hey, thatâ€s what makes it fun.

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The Toronto Blue Jays secured a Game 4 American League Championship Series 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday on the road, evening the series at 2-2.

Blue Jays ace Max Scherzer had a solid night and even appeared to refuse to come out of the game in the fifth inning, striking out five over 5.2 innings while allowing three hits, one home run, two earned runs and four walks.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made history after going 2-for-5 at the plate and hitting his fifth home run of the postseason, setting a new Blue Jays record for most home runs in a single postseason, surpassing Jose Bautista (2015), per SportsNet.

Andrés Giménez went 2-for-3 on Thursday, hitting a two-run homer and a two-run single for four RBIs, while George Springer and Daulton Varsho also added RBIs.

“Mad Max,” Vladdy and the Blue Jays thrilled fans on Thursday, evening the ALCS with an electrifying performance on the road.

Josh Naylor sparked the Seattle Mariners’ offense with a leadoff home run to center in the bottom of the second, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived.

Giménez responded in the top of the third with a two-run homer to right and a bases-loaded walk to Varsho added another run, putting Toronto ahead 3-1.

Springer extended the Blue Jays’ lead in the fourth with an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch by Matt Brash, making it 5-1.

Eugenio Suárez singled to right in the sixth to drive in a run, but a rocket throw from Addison Barger in right field nailed Josh Naylor at third to end the inning with minimal damage.

Guerrero Jr. launched a 359-foot home run to center in the seventh, reclaiming the run and giving the Blue Jays a 6-2 lead.

Giménez added a RBI double in the eighth to blow the game open, and the Blue Jays went on to win 8-2.

As the Mariners and Blue Jays duel in the American League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers clash in the National League to decide who advances to the World Series. Los Angeles currently holds a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 will stay in Seattle on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET, as Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and Mariners’ Bryce Muller are set to face off.

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With a runner on first and two outs in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider walked out to have a chat with starting pitcher Max Scherzer. It went about how you would expect if you’re familiar with Max Scherzer.

As soon as Schneider reached the mound Thursday, Scherzer began barking at him. It was unclear if Schneider wanted to pull the future Hall of Famer or simply talk about the next batter, Randy Arozarena, but the message from the pitcher was the same.

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In a word: “No.”

Scherzer proceeded to strike out Arozarena and smack his glove in celebration.

The veteran right-hander made sure to let Schneider know what happened as he walked into the dugout.

Among the people entertained by Scherzer’s reaction: his dugout.

Scherzer wound up staying in the game for the start of the sixth inning. He got the first two outs with a Cal Raleigh flyout and Julio Rodríguez strikeout, but then he walked Jorge Polanco on his 87th pitch of the game. That finally led to Schneider pulling him for left-hander Mason Fluharty, who ended up allowing Polanco to score.

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Scherzer’s final line: 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in a pivotal Game 4 that the Jays won 8-2 to tie this series 2-2.

After the game, Schneider didn’t seem too worried about his pitcher’s vigor:

“Been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound. … I was joking with him, Iâ€ve been waiting for that moment since our Zoom call in the offseason before we signed him. Loved it. Thereâ€s a little more of that in between (before) I sent him back out for the sixth, too.

“It was awesome. I thought he was gonna kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out. Itâ€s not fake. Thatâ€s the thing. Itâ€s not fake. He has this ‘Mad Max’ persona, but he backed it up tonight. The infielders had a good laugh, too, and he got the job done.â€

Scherzer’s explanation:

“I understood where the game state was, knew how I wanted to attack, and all of a sudden, I saw Schneids coming out, and I went ‘Whoa whoa whoa whoa, Iâ€m not coming out of this ballgame. I feel too good.’ And so we had a little conversation that basically I wanted to stay in the ballgame, but just with some other words involved.”

The postseason hasn’t always been kind to the three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, but it has never been for a lack of intensity. Scherzer is a guy who can be seen growling and muttering under his breath, often profanely, between pitches during the regular season, and he hasn’t changed at 41 years old and on his seventh MLB team.

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There’s a reason Toronto wanted a pitcher like him on a team with playoff aspirations, signing him to a one-year, $15.5 million deal before the season. It wasn’t always pretty during the regular season, with a thumb injury knocking Scherzer out for most of the first half and a 5.19 season ERA, but he answered the bell in Game 4, putting his team in position to tie a series that felt nearly lost as it left Toronto.

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SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be himself when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Seattle.

His excitable, feisty self.

“I love it. This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason.â€

The 41-year-old Scherzer hasnâ€t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Torontoâ€s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during a10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,†Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.â€

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didnâ€t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I donâ€t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,†Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) Iâ€m going to win no matter what.â€

The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home. They need to win at least two of three in Seattle to send the best-of-seven series back to Toronto.

“Weâ€re a great team,†Scherzer said before the Blue Jays†win in Game 3. “Iâ€ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. Weâ€ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand whatâ€s at stake.â€

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Oct 15, 2025, 09:00 PM ET

SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be his excitable, feisty self when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

“I love it. This is what you play for,” Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation. You want to be pitching in the postseason.”

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The 41-year-old Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Toronto’s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during Monday night’s 10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,” Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.”

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1/3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a $15.5 million, one-year contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I don’t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,” Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) I’m going to win no matter what.”

The Blue Jays dropped the first two games of the ALCS at home but responded with a Game 3 win in Seattle on Wednesday night.

“We’re a great team,” Scherzer said Wednesday. “I’ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. We’ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand what’s at stake.”

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Oct 14, 2025, 07:09 PM ET

SEATTLE — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Seattle Mariners.

Scherzer was activated after being left off the roster for the division series against the New York Yankees and is slated to make his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance. The 41-year-old right-hander is 0-3 over his past eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series opener, and went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

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Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season and that he is in a better spot physically than a month ago. Opting to use the eight-time All-Star as a starter stemmed from wanting to keep Scherzer’s routine consistent.

“I’ve talked about him preparing all year,” Schneider said Tuesday, a day before the matchup resumes with Toronto trying to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. “So I think keeping things normal for him. Going back to you want to see normalcy. So you trust that he’s going to be prepared and go out and give everything he has and hopefully rise to the occasion of a big moment. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. So you feel good about handing him the ball and watching him go to work.”

An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract. He didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

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SEATTLE — By the time Game 4 of the AL Championship Series rolls around Thursday at T-Mobile Park, the Blue Jays will either be trying to tie the series or fighting to save their season. Either way, in Max Scherzer they trust.

Toronto turned Game 4 of the ALDS against the Yankees into a bullpen game, which it executed masterfully, but the Blue Jays are keeping things more traditional in a seven-game series. Scherzer didnâ€t finish the season strong, but all along, the club has eyed a moment like this for the 41-year-old veteran whoâ€s seen and done just about everything in this game.

“He’s a [future] Hall of Famer for a reason,†said manager John Schneider. “You feel good about handing him the ball and watching him go to work.”

This canâ€t be all about reputation, though. If it were, Toronto would sign Nolan Ryan to be available behind Scherzer in a bulk role. The Blue Jays need the version of Scherzer capable of winning in the postseason right here, right now. Thatâ€s a version we didnâ€t see in September.

Thereâ€s a method to the Blue Jays†thinking, though. Since he was left off the ALDS roster, Scherzer has continued to pitch and is feeling much better physically than he was a month ago. Schneider has said in recent days that this impacted some of Scherzer’s secondary pitches, which were certainly an issue. Over his final six starts (25 IP), he posted a 9.00 ERA.

Just prior to that, though, Scherzer looked fantastic. Itâ€s still in there, which is why Schneider believes Scherzer can find it again.

“I think you get the best version out of Max.†Schneider said. “He prepares. I’ve talked about him preparing all year. So I think keeping things normal for him [is good]. You want to see normalcy. You trust that he’s going to be prepared and go out and give everything he has and hopefully rise to the occasion of a big moment.â€

If Scherzerâ€s stuff is where it was in late July and early August, the Blue Jays should have all the confidence in the world. We wonâ€t know until we see it, but Toronto can go into Game 4 with the certainty that nothing will surprise Scherzer. Heâ€s made 30 postseason appearances (25 starts) totaling 143 innings, and he won rings in 2019 with the Nationals and ’23 with the Rangers.

Scherzer understands the odds here, but he knows theyâ€re not 0%.

“It’s not impossible. It’s baseball,†Scherzer said. “You never know when there’s going to be turns in momentum. You never know when momentum or a series can just shift or hold. You never really know. It’s a seven-game series for a reason. If it’s a one-game play-in, we’re on vacation right now. But it’s not.â€

This is the start Toronto signed Scherzer to make. A win in Game 4 — whether that ties the series or keeps it alive — would immediately make Scherzerâ€s one-year, $15.5 million deal worth every penny and more. This only needs to work once — for now — and the Blue Jays are making one of their biggest bets of the season on a pitcher who they believe has one more great moment left.

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TORONTO — Injured Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is not on the roster for the AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners that begins Sunday night in Toronto, but three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and right-hander Chris Bassitt are both active after missing the Division Series win over the Yankees.

Seattle made two changes to the roster that beat Detroit in the Division Series round, with ace right-hander Bryan Woo returning.

A first-time All-Star this season, the 25-year-old Woo hasnâ€t pitched since Sept. 19 because of pectoral inflammation. He went 15-7 with a 2.94 ERA and 198 strikeouts across 186 2/3 regular-season innings.

Bichette ran the bases Saturday, the first time heâ€s done that since spraining his left knee last month. The two-time AL hits leader and two-time All-Star grimaced while rounding second base, pulled up and walked off the field while shaking his head.

Bichette finished second in the major leagues to New Yorkâ€s Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average. Bichette was injured in a Sept. 6 collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells and hasnâ€t played since.

Torontoâ€s 13 position players for the ALCS are the same group that scored 34 runs in 34 innings against the Yankees.

An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a one-year, $15.5 million contract. He didnâ€t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer was 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts.

Bassitt went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 32 appearances, all but one of them starts.

Scherzer and Bassitt take the spots of left-hander Justin Bruihl and right-hander Tommy Nance.

Besides Woo, the Mariners added utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni for the ALCS. They took the spots of outfielder Luke Raley and infielder Ben Williamson.

There are three catchers among Seattleâ€s 13 position players, including Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver and Harry Ford.

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