It’s the cavalry coming. After making his season debut on Sunday, Max Scherzer is squirting some cold water in the faces of dejected Texas Rangers supporters. With five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, the three-time Cy Young champion shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 4-0 victory at Globe Life Field, helping the team win four games in a row.
In addition, he made some incredible history in the Major League Baseball and is currently surrounded by some of the best starting pitchers of his generation. In his career, Scherzer earned 3,371 strikeouts, tying Greg Maddux for 11th place on the all-time list. He also struck out four hitters.
The 39-year-old is still adding to his Hall of Fame resume, which may get much stronger if he can contribute to another World Series title run.
The right-hander controlled the mound against the Royals, but there’s always the fear that his body would fail him once more. That is a worry for Max Scherzer following his 57-pitch comeback appearance.
According to ESPN, he stated, “Everything from a baseball standpoint was telling me to go back out there.” You know, I’m throwing the ball well and pitching well. I simply have no idea how I’m going to get over this. My forearm was starting to feel a little tired.
A healthy Max Scherzer could give Rangers a new lease on life
The days that follow could hardly be enjoyable for Scherzer as he gets ready for his next scheduled start. He pitched in an MLB game for the first time since October 30, and he is nearing the end of his career. It’s impossible to predict how his arm will react. But one thing is for sure: Texas needs as many healthy stars as it can get.
The Rangers(37–40) still have a difficult climb ahead of them—they are four and a half games out of the final Wild Card spot and trail the Seattle Mariners by six and a half games in the American League West—but Scherzer’s presence alone should instill a great deal of confidence in manager Bruce Bochy and staff moving forward.
By the end of this week, if everything goes according to plan, he will hold the No. 11 spot on the K’s list exclusively. The two-time winner doesn’t consider anything to be given.
Scherzer stated, “It was just enjoyable to compete again.” “Stay on the mound and follow the rules of the game as they are being played.”
