Mad Max Scherzer delivers precisely what Blue Jays need in win over Royals

Edmonton Journal

4 days ago

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The Mad Max experience is not lost on Blue Jays manager John Schneider: From the preparation to the professionalism, and from the intensity to the quirky.
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And on a brilliant summer Saturday at the Rogers Centre, Schneider got to see one of the most important sides of the living pitching legend: His competitiveness.
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Scherzer allowed just one run through six innings of work, muting the Kansas City offence enough to allow the Jays to record what felt like an important 4-2 win over the Royals before a ninth consecutive Toronto sellout crowd of 41,842.
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With his team having lost five of its previous six games and balls leaving the park via opponents' bats at a disconcerting rate in recent contests, Schneider needed the ultimate Max effort.
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The Jays pretty much got that from the big off-season acquisition's eighth start of the season, as the 41-year-old veteran's only blemish was a solo homer in the sixth to Salvador Perez, which dented but didn't destroy the Jays' 3-1 lead at the time.
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The Royals added one off of Brendon Little in the seventh, but a clutch RBI single off the bat of Ernie Clement provided a welcome insurance run and the Jays bullpen shut it down the rest of the way.
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Given the recent struggles — and the fact opponents had put up eight or more runs in five of the previous six games — it sure felt as though the Jays needed some Scherzer sizzle. And in improving to 65-47, Schneider's first-place team will attempt to win the rubber match of the three-game series with starter Chris Bassitt on the mound for Toronto.
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From the meticulous preparation, to the out-loud muttering, to the hall of fame stuff, Scherzer has been the full-on show for those who share a baseball diamond with him, teammate or foe.
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It's the mad scientist in the Mad Max persona, an act on full display on game days, but in evidence behind closed clubhouse doors on the regular.
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'A lot of times, out loud he's saying what he would throw in certain posts and why and he does a lot of work in here with his own research and stuff,' Schneider said. 'I wish you could see his binder of stuff. It's pretty funny, actually.
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'He's very big on areas of the zone in which to attack, he knows exactly what every hitter's slugging percentages are in a certain spot and certain count,' Schneider said. 'He's done it for a long time and he has his own way of working things out.'
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On Saturday, Scherzer may not have had his best stuff, but his savvy was his ace, twice pitching out of jams, allowing the Jays to take advantage of a three-run third inning to open the scoring.