Max Scherzer Must Set Tone for New York Mets in Game 1 of Wild Card Series
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NEW YORK - As he sat at the podium on media day at Citi Field, Max Scherzer spoke about what's at stake as he gets set to take the ball for the Mets in Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
"Everything’s on the line, win or go home," Scherzer said. "That’s the attitude you need to have. You get in the postseason, every game feels like a must win. This is what you play for is to be in these types of moments."
Scherzer has been in plenty of these types of moments, carrying 26 (21 starts) career postseason appearances under his belt.
For the 38-year-old, who pitched in the Game 7 clincher of the World Series in 2019 for the Washington Nationals, pressure is something he welcomes.
“Having pressure isn’t a problem; It’s a privilege," Scherzer said. "I want to be in these situations. I want to be competing for all the marbles; I want to be competing for a World Series. You have to be a good team to do that."
With the Mets heading into a best-of-three series with the Padres, they need Scherzer to set the tone in Game 1. Should Scherzer and the Mets win the first game, this will determine whether Chris Bassitt or Jacob deGrom starts in Game 2.
According to multiple reports, deGrom will only pitch in Game 2 if the Mets lost Game 1. Should the Mets win each of the first two games, this would allow deGrom to line up as New York's Game 1 and Game 5 starter in the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the regular season, Scherzer went 11-5 with a 2.29 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 23 starts. He will now look to help the Mets get things going in the team's first postseason contest in six years.
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- Why Taijuan Walker Deserves Spot in Mets' Postseason Rotation
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