"Max Scherzer is washed"; "Easy win" - MLB fans on edge as Blue Jays bet on veteran pitcher to keep Mariners series alive

The Toronto Blue Jays kept their World Series hopes alive after a dominant 13-4 win against the Seattle Mariners in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

It was a much-needed win for the Blue Jays as they would have been on the brink of elimination after a third consecutive defeat in the series. With the Mariners leading 2-1, Toronto will have veteran ace Max Scherzer on the mound with the hope of tying the best-of-seven series.

However, MLB fans are not onboard with the decision to have the 41-year-old on the mound.

"Not even the beast man he was. He's washed. Seattle 3-1 up," claimed a fan.

"This is like Pedro pitching for the Phillies against the Yankees in the World Series," joked a fan.

"They gonna lose," wrote a fan.

"This is either a legendary performance or complete blow out. There is no in between," wrote a fan.

"Easy win," claimed a Mariners fan.

"We have Flacco vs Rodgers plus Max on Thursday? Are we in 2008 again?"

While the three-time Cy Young winner has pitched several big games during his Hall of Fame-worthy career, Scherzer looked like a shadow of himself in the regular season, posting a 5.19 ERA.

Blue Jays outfielder George Springer sends Max Scherzer warning to Mariners

Max Scherzer was left out of the division series roster after the veteran All-Star pitcher ended the regular season with a 9.00 ERA in his last six starts, allowing 25 earned runs in 25 innings.

Despite his woeful performance at the end of the season, former World Series MVP and Blue Jays teammate George Springer had a warning for the Seattle Mariners.

"He says he's not gonna be calm. So expect Max to be Mad Max," Springer said.

While Springer has been an offensive spark plug for the team with two home runs, two RBIs, and four runs scored in the ALCS, Scherzer will have to turn back the clock to stop the Mariners from taking a 3-1 lead.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash