Scherzer ready for Game 4: “This is what we play for” – ALCS

SEATTLE – The Toronto Blue Jays hope to see Max Scherzer at his best, demonstrating his characteristic passion and energy, when he takes the mound for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners this Thursday night.

“I love this. This is why we play,” Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation. You want to pitch in the postseason.”

Max Scherzer

Scherzer, 41, hasn’t pitched since his last start in the regular season on September 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is preparing for his 26th postseason start, in his 31st appearance. Both Scherzer and right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt were added to the Blue Jays’ roster for the American League Championship Series, after missing the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 innings without allowing runs in a relief appearance during Monday night’s loss to the Mariners (10-3). “I hope Max is Max,” Bassitt said, “in the sense of going out and executing at a very, very high level.” Scherzer is 0-3 in his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1/3 with a 9.00 ERA in his last six starts of the 2025 season. Scherzer admitted that his performance was not up to his standards towards the end of the season, and that it took him some time to regain his physical form. Manager John Schneider revealed on Sunday that a neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star was also out of the mound between March 29 and June 25 due to inflammation in his right thumb. Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, had a 5-5 record with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year, in his 18th season in the Major Leagues.

“I don’t want to sit here and regress blaming injuries for my pitching form,” Scherzer said. “When I go up on the mound, I go up on the mound and I have the attitude that I’m going to win no matter what.”

Max Scherzer

The Blue Jays lost the first two games of the American League Championship Series at home, but responded with a win in Game 3 in Seattle on Wednesday night.

“We are a great team,” Scherzer said on Wednesday. “I’ve seen it time and time again throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had a lot of comeback wins. We’ve played great baseball.

Max Scherzer

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are win or die games. We all understand what’s at stake.”