For Scherzer, it never stops.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why at 41, he\u2019s still pitching. With the best-of-seven series against the Dodgers tied 1-1, it\u2019s why he\u2019ll get the ball in a pivotal Game 3.<\/p>\n
For the three-time Cy Young Award winner, it\u2019s always October. He won\u2019t throw unimportant pitches to imaginary batters in the bullpen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what you play for,\u201d Scherzer said. \u201cTo be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that endless electricity the Blue Jays require as the series moves to Dodger Stadium. He\u2019s tasked with earning back the Jays\u2019 edge. It\u2019s the sort of start that seemed unimaginable in June but it\u2019s the kind of outing he\u2019s always preparing for.<\/p>\n
With three pitching coaches watching on, Scherzer yelled, \u201cLet\u2019s do (Brice) Turang,\u201d referring to the Brewers\u2019 diminutive infielder.<\/p>\n
Except, there was no Turang standing 60 feet away. Still, Scherzer picked through a lineup in his head, imagining at-bats. Assistant pitching coach Sam Greene connected his phone to the boombox and flipped to a mobile soundboard.<\/p>\n
For Scherzer\u2019s dotted strikes, he played the sound of a revving engine. The veteran starter clenched his fist in celebration.<\/p>\n
For the misses, a sad horn honked. Scherzer cringed.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2241515694-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Scherzer already displayed his fiery personality and intensity once this October. (Alika Jenner \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Despite being in his 18th season, Scherzer\u2019s side sessions pulsed with passion. His effort is unconditionally always at its highest. He feeds off the mocking noises after bad bullpen pitches. Alex Avila, who caught Scherzer for five years, said \u201cgetting on his a\u2013\u201d is the best way to motivate the future Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n
Just three wins separate Scherzer from his third World Series ring. There\u2019s no need for added incentive on Monday. Either the Jays move back up in the World Series, after Saturday\u2019s 5-1 loss, or they fall into a hole.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have plenty of motivation,\u201d Scherzer said. \u201cI\u2019m here to win and I\u2019ve got a clubhouse full of guys who want to win too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jays saw Scherzer at his October best, shouting manager John Schneider off the mound and pulling Toronto to a Game 4 win in the American League Championship Series. There was no question he\u2019d get the ball once more. This time, with the lights brighter and the banner closer.<\/p>\n
But, for much of the season, this World Series start felt distant.<\/p>\n
As Scherzer sat (or, more accurately, paced) on the sidelines for three months, explaining the many pain points of his ailing thumb, October felt impossible. As he failed to find a way through the first inning in September, a rotation spot slipped away. Days before Toronto\u2019s Division Series, he didn\u2019t appear close to top form, allowing triples and homers to Double A prospects in simulated games.<\/p>\n
\ufeff<\/p>\n
Through it all, the electricity still buzzed.<\/p>\n
Scherzer stood on the dugout\u2019s top step, his arms draped over the padding. Left off the DS roster, he mouthed words to himself as if a sorcerer casting incantations on opposing players. He marchced through dugouts, acting as a second pitching coach. He stepped into Schneider\u2019s office almost every day, offering a health update before lingering.<\/p>\n
It was, Schneider laughed, the manager\u2019s \u201cdaily Max session.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why Schneider, pushing an IPA to his lips after Toronto\u2019s Game 7 win over the Seattle Mariners, wasn\u2019t shocked when Scherzer immediately asked about the next steps. The starter sped through questions, at his perpetual pace, asking which game he\u2019d start, which outing he needed extra tickets for and when he\u2019d throw his side session. The champagne still pooled in the belly of Rogers Centre, but Scherzer buzzed with World Series excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like, \u2018Max, I\u2019m enjoying a beer, man,\u2019\u201d Schneider said.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s what the Blue Jays signed up for \u2014 unyielding energy and Hall of Fame upside. After months of waiting, it\u2019s what they received in the ALCS. It\u2019s what the Jays could use again in Game 3.<\/p>\n
After three Cy Young Awards, eight All-Star Game nods and two World Series titles, these are the only games that can truly add to Scherzer\u2019s well-built legacy. For many in his position, days like Monday would be the only ones that fully fuel. What\u2019s the point of May and June when you\u2019ve participated in two parades?<\/p>\n
But not for Scherzer. Even on an August afternoon, it\u2019s always October. Every start is Game 3 of the World Series. This time, however, it actually is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not trying to let the moment change my intensity,\u201d Scherzer said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m intense, every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO \u2014 Max Scherzer gritted his teeth and huffed. He fired finger guns following strikes and threw his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241269,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82,507],"class_list":{"0":"post-241268","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-toronto-blue-jays"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241268\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}