TORONTO (AP) — Max Scherzer said he felt “unlimited” in Sunday’s season-ending start against the Cincinnati Reds.
Pitching on three days of rest, the 42-year-old Scherzer struck out seven over seven-plus innings to earn the 225th victory of his career as the Blue Jays won 5-1.
“That was amazing,” Scherzer said. “The adrenaline starts kicking in, the fans start getting in, and that’s when I could start feeding off of the crowd here at the Rogers Centre.
I really could just reach back and just felt like I was unlimited.”
Scherzer threw a season-high 114 pitches, 77 for strikes. He walked one and allowed one run and six hits, including five singles.
“If that doesn’t sum up Max Scherzer, I don’t know what does,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
Even Reds manager Terry Francona was impressed.
“I wish we’d have won but it’s hard not to tip your cap or clap because he’s been so much of what’s good in baseball, and you’ve got to respect that,” Francona said.
A two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer (4-9) boosted his career strikeout total to 3,557. That’s the ninth-highest mark in big league history — three behind former teammate Justin Verlander, who made the final start of his decorated career Saturday.
The sellout crowd of 42,131 rose for a standing ovation when Scherzer took the mound alone before the game, with his teammates briefly hanging back in the dugout. Scherzer stepped off and saluted the fans with a wave.
Schneider was booed when he came to the mound with two outs in the seventh, but fans cheered when Scherzer stayed in to retire Will Banfield on a popup.
“The whole place is booing him,” Scherzer said of Schneider. “I’m like, ‘Man, I want to stay in this game, too.’”
Schneider came out again after Scherzer walked Oswaldo Cabrera to begin the eighth.
“It was the weakest call to the bullpen ever for me,” Schneider said. “I kind of used my pinky.”
A smiling Scherzer handed over the ball and walked off to another big cheer. After exchanging hugs with his teammates, Scherzer climbed into the stands next to the dugout to embrace his wife and children.
“Just a cool moment to be able to see them,” Scherzer said. “I wanted to have them here.”
Scherzer said he skipped his bullpen session and upper-body weightlifting after throwing 93 pitches in five innings at Baltimore last Wednesday.
“I gave myself maximum chance to be able to be the best today I can possibly be,” he said.
Scherzer finished one out shy of reaching 85 innings pitched, which would have earned him a $1 million bonus. He’d previously earned $1 million bonuses for reaching 65 innings and 75 innings.
Before Saturday’s game, Scherzer said he would wait until the offseason to decide whether he wants to play a 20th major league season in 2027.
“When you get away from baseball, you get a little bit more clarity of your decision-making,” Scherzer said Sunday.
Whatever happens, the intense Scherzer has made a big impression over his two seasons in Toronto.
“I told Max on the mound when he was coming out, ‘Thank you for letting me be part of your unbelievable career,’” Schneider said, “and I wouldn’t want any other 42-year-old psychopath on my team other than you.’”
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