LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Scherzer didn’t argue this time.
John Schneider pointed to Toronto’s bullpen before crossing the foul line on the way to the mound, and the 41-year-old pitcher nodded in agreement as his manager arrived. Scherzer left World Series Game 3 with a 4-2 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers after 4 1/3 innings Monday night, becoming the oldest Series starting pitcher since 45-year-old Jamie Moyer in 2008.
Still, Scherzer appeared disappointed with himself for allowing Kiké Hernández’s leadoff single in the fifth inning. After the Dodgers tied the score against reliever Mason Fluharty, Scherzer was shouting, seemingly at himself, in Toronto’s dugout.
He could get another chance to face the Dodgers, as Scherzer is lined up to start a potential Game 7 on Saturday.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner, “Mad Max” had lived up to his nickname earlier this postseason. He famously told Schneider in profane terms to leave him in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against Seattle on Oct. 16, when the manager visited the mound with two outs and a runner on in the fifth inning.
On Monday, Scherzer struck out Randy Arozarena and recorded two outs in the sixth inning, earning his first postseason win since the 2019 World Series opener for Washington against Houston.
“I’m going to try to avoid any mound visits with Max tomorrow,” Schneider said with a smile on Sunday.
Scherzer was back at Dodger Stadium, where the eight-time All-Star spent the 2021 season with Los Angeles. He disappointed Dodgers fans then when he was scratched from NLCS Game 6 against Atlanta due to arm fatigue, and Los Angeles was eliminated.
Becoming the first pitcher to take the mound for four different teams in the World Series, Scherzer was amped up. He averaged 94.8 mph with 37 four-seam fastballs — his highest since Sept. 19, 2022, when he pitched six perfect innings for the New York Mets to beat Milwaukee for his 200th win.
Hernández, who was in a 1-for-16 slump, singled to start the fifth on a 1-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone. Scherzer retired Andy Pages on a flyout, bringing up Shohei Ohtani, who had doubled leading off the game and hit a solo home run in the third on a full-count fastball.
Schneider signaled to his bullpen before even reaching the foul line, and as he approached the mound, Scherzer nodded in understanding.
Ohtani hit an opposite-field double off Fluharty and scored on Freddie Freeman’s two-out single, tying the score 4-4.
Overall, Scherzer allowed three runs and five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He also gave up a solo homer to Teoscar Hernández on a hanging slider to start the second inning.
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