World Series: Scherzer tries to find his Max production again
Rangers starter Max Scherzer throws during the first inning of Game 7 of the ALCS against the Astros on Oct. 23 in Houston. Credit: AP/Godofredo A. Vásquez
PHOENIX
As a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, at age 39, Max Scherzer shouldn’t have much left to prove. He’s won three Cy Young Awards, owns a World Series ring and has earned more than $300 million.
But when it comes to his playoff legacy, Scherzer has been trending in the wrong direction since bowing out of a scheduled Game 6 NLCS start for the Dodgers, who promptly were eliminated by Atlanta in 2021.
Scherzer’s “dead arm” explanation that October — on the eve of free agency — still haunts his reputation among those with long, bitter memories in L.A.
As for what happened a year later during the Wild Card Series at Citi Field, when the Padres treated Scherzer like a pinata (four homers, seven runs) before he was booed off the mound in a Game 1 rout, Mets fans will never forgive him for throwing BP that night.
We won’t go as far as to say it’s any sort of lasting stain on Scherzer’s Cooperstown resume. He’s bulletproof in that capacity. Just consider Monday’s World Series Game 3 start a prime opportunity for him to rinse away the lingering bad taste from those previous Octobers, not to mention pitching to a 9.45 ERA in two playoff starts for the Rangers earlier this month.
“You’ve got to match the moment,” Scherzer said Sunday.
Is he up to the task? Great question. We won’t know for sure until the feisty Diamondbacks step into the box Monday night at Chase Field.
But here’s what we do know. It’s been another grueling year for Scherzer — No. 16 of his career — and he wasn’t even supposed to be pitching in this postseason.
On Sept. 13, Rangers general manager Chris Young said Scherzer was “unlikely’’ to return this season after being diagnosed with a shoulder-muscle strain, and it was easy to take him at his word. Scherzer has a ton of mileage on that right arm, and before his deadline trade to Texas, he repeatedly was stricken with physical issues with the Mets, including back and neck problems.
At the time, we thought trading Scherzer was virtually impossible because of those health-related red flags and the boatload of cash (nearly $60 million) left on his deal through 2024. But the Rangers’ desperate need for rotation help, combined with the Mets’ burning desire to reboot the roster — and owner Steve Cohen’s willingness to eat salary — facilitated Scherzer’s relocation to Texas.
Relatively speaking, from a financial standpoint, it was a low-risk gamble for the Rangers, who are paying $22.5 million for what should be the final 1 1⁄2 seasons of a Cooperstown-bound ace.
Now that they’re in the World Series, which is all even at a game apiece, the Rangers again are looking to Scherzer with an air of desperation.
There’s legit reason to worry. Scherzer missed a month because of that shoulder-muscle strain — he called it a “hiccup” Sunday — and the body of work since his return is hardly reassuring.
The Rangers had a 2-0 lead in the ALCS before Scherzer’s turn, and the Astros barreled him up for five runs in four innings in an 8-5 victory at Globe Life Field.
Such a performance wasn’t surprising, given the layoff, and Texas had little choice but to give him the ball again for the do-or-die Game 7. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy probably began that start with one foot already on the dugout’s top step, and Scherzer lasted only 2 2⁄3 innings, giving up a pair of runs, including a homer by Alex Bregman.
For Game 3, Scherzer said it’s not about the quality of his pitches but the quantity.
“I can throw a fastball 100%,” he said. “Like, it’s how many pitches I can make in a start. That’s the number we don’t have nailed down to 100%.”
From what we’ve witnessed, the Rangers have survived Scherzer more than relied on him to help deliver this World Series berth. But he did offer a potential underlying cause for this month’s struggles — a cut that had developed along his right thumb, extending below the nail. He provided an update before Sunday’s workout at Chase Field.
“It’s good, it’s healing,” he said. “We’ll be able to address it. Found a way to use cotton and Super Glue in a way that provides a layer for that not to get cut as well. A little arts and crafts in the training room at times, but that’s what you’ve got to do.”
That should remove the thumb as an excuse. It puts Monday night all on Scherzer more than a decade after his very first World Series start for the Tigers, a Game 4 loss in the Giants’ 2012 sweep.
Overall, Scherzer is 7-8 with a 3.86 ERA in 29 postseason appearances, including 24 starts, but he seems to be in uncharted territory this month.
“When you’re younger, I had a bigger arm, I was able to really throw the ball by people,” Scherzer said. “So I relied on that, I fed off the moment to throw 98, 99 as much as I could because I could get the ball by guys.
“I don’t have that capability at this age anymore. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get guys out. I just have to get guys out in a different way. And I feel like I’m able to do that and understand the moment a little bit better because of my experience.”
Is Scherzer still capable of rising to that moment?
He’ll provide the proof, one way or the other, in Monday night’s Game 3.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
