Max Scherzer was direct when the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher was asked if his impressive start Sunday against the Seattle Mariners was validating.
“No, because I knew,” the future Baseball Hall of Famer said in response to the question, via Sportsnet.
The 2026 MLB season hasn’t been one of Scherzer’s best, with the 42-year-old pitcher struggling to keep his ERA below 6.00.
But he flashed his vintage form in the series finale against the Mariners at Rogers Centre in Toronto, reminding everyone of the greatness he’s still capable of unleashing on the mound as he tossed seven scoreless innings while racking up 10 strikeouts in a 7-0 victory.
It was the fifth time over Scherzer’s last six starts that he pitched for at least five innings and gave up just two earned runs or fewer. He entered August with a 9.49 ERA, but that is now down to 6.16 following his start against Seattle.
In the same game, the three-time Cy Young Award winner climbed to ninth on the all-time strikeout list, passing Gaylord Perry with 3,535 strikeouts.
As for the Blue Jays, their three-game sweep of Seattle improves their playoff chances. The 68-70 Toronto is 15 games behind the top of the American League East standings but is only 1.5 games out of the AL Wild Card race.
