With a Game 7 loss comes plenty of emotional players — and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer is no exception.
Scherzer, 41, spoke to the media after the heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 11 innings on Saturday, November 1, reportedly wiping away tears as he discussed the game and his career.
“I’m 41 years old and I never thought I could love baseball this much,” Scherzer said. “My love for the game was so strong because of their love for the game.”
He continued: “That loss is so tough because you’re so close to everybody. This team had that closeness, had that camaraderie. We had that passion not only for the game but for each other.”
Scherzer was the starting pitcher for Saturday’s winner-take-all game, a decision that Blue Jays manager John Schneider said was a no-brainer.
“When we told [Scherzer] Game 3, he immediately said, ‘Ok so 3 and 7,’ ” Schneider said before Game 7. “So he’s been preparing for this since the start of the series.”
Schneider continued: “What he’s meant to this group has been a lot. Not just from a pitching standpoint but from a culture standpoint. … He’s as competitive as anyone I’ve ever seen, he really supports his teammates. He’s been awesome for us and I think that personality is something we needed this year. You trust him in spots like this.”
Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Scherzer pitched 4.1 innings and only gave up one run on four hits, notching three strikeouts.
He left the game with the Blue Jays ahead 3-1, receiving a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd. On his way back to the dugout, Scherzer showed his appreciation to the fans, saluting them and pounding his chest in an emotional moment.
After the game, Scherzer told the media he was not in the right state of mind to talk about his future, but said he knows he has yet to throw his last pitch.
“The only thing I can say is it’s going to take some time to give a full answer to that but there is no way that was my last pitch,” Scherzer said after the game.
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Scherzer will be a free agent this offseason, and he’s not the only big name potentially hitting the market for the Blue Jays. Fellow pitchers Chris Bassitt and Shane Bieber are entering free agency as well, along with shortstop Bo Bichette.
Scherzer is a two-time World Series champion, but fell short of his third ring this season. He won in 2019 with the Washington Nationals and in 2023 with the Texas Rangers. He also earned three Cy Young Awards, given to the best pitcher in the American and National Leagues.
He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft, then was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2009, where he spent five seasons. He signed with the Washington Nationals as a free agent in 2015 where he pitched another seven years.
After brief stints with the Dodgers, New York Mets and Rangers, he signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jays before this season.
