Vintage Game Four Max Scherzer Includes Fiery Reaction On The Mound
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Nothing is better than post-season baseball, the highs and lows, the overflowing emotions and pressure, and the nuances of the game on the center stage, unknowing what will happen during any given pitch in a matchup.
One thing that remains constant, though, is Max Scherzer having one of the most fiery competitive driving forces the league has ever seen. There's a reason they call him 'Mad Max' when he's on the mound after all.
That includes a fiery exchange on the mound in game four when the Toronto Blue Jays faced the Seattle Mariners, where he turned out one of his best performances in the second half of the season under the brightest lights. When manager John Schneider came strolling to the mound, he didn't stay long; Scherzer was ready to pounce and wasn't going to turn over the baseball.
New Team, Same Max
It's no secret that Scherzer is in the twilight of his career, winding down until he opts for retirement, with one of the most remarkable careers of his generation. While his fastball may have lost a step, it wasn't evident in his performance on the mound in Seattle.
Allowing only three hits, two earned runs, four walks, and striking out five in 5.2 innings pitched, in his longest performance on the mound since August 25, Father Time was held off a bit longer.
Maybe he, too, was scared off by the fiery demeanor of the eight-time all-star, the same way Schneider was when he approached the mound in the fifth inning to talk to his pitcher.
Scherzer, much like a dog gnawing on a bone, didn't like being interrupted, and certainly didn't like the optics of a manager walking to the mound, knowing it usually means his time in the game is done.
The Scherzer of the past was here, and not just in his performance, but the strikingly similar reactionary scream to get off the mound was as well. It seemed as if he screamed, "Yeah, I'm good, yeah, go!"
He got the response he wanted and was left in the game to a cheer from even the Mariners faithful, knowing what they just witnessed, perhaps for the last time in person.
Max Scherzer was NOT coming out of this game 😳
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2025
Facing his next hitter, he picks up the strikeout to end the 5th! pic.twitter.com/EbVoGMOno8
“I was going to take him out after the fifth,” Schneider said post game. “I met him up there because (reliever) Louie (Varland) was getting hot. I don’t know if I can repeat everything. But he was in that little equipment room. I walked in and he said, ‘What the f— are you doing here?’ And I said, ‘Are you good?’ And he goes, ‘Get the f— out of here, I’m good.’
What looked like a dead-in-the-water Blue Jays team, after being down 2-0 in the series and having to travel on the road, has come alive again, showing their fire and talent, knowing that they can turn the narrative around.
Now tied in the series, showing fight on the mound, and in the box, there's something to be said about the energy and passion coming from the oldest player on their roster.
Whether that was the last time Scherzer takes the mound in his career, or the previous time he reverts to the dominance of this younger self, to the end, he was always himself, a ruthless, terrifying pitcher, for opposing hitters and his own manager.
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JD Andress is an accomplished sports writer and journalist with extensive experience covering a wide range of collegiate sports. JD has provided in-depth coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. He looks forward to being part of the coverage of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. His experience spans various sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, rifle, equestrian, and others, reflecting his broad interest and commitment to sports journalism.