Scherzer Stars in Blue Jays Emotional Season Finale

By: Brian Frank

In what might have been the final game for Max Scherzer and George Springer in Toronto uniforms, the Blue Jays defeated the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre by a score of 5–1. The two superstars head into an uncertain offseason with their contracts expiring—Scherzer signed a one-year deal with Toronto last March, while Springer is coming off a six-year deal he signed prior to the 2021 season. Looming labor issues this offseason only make the futures of the two franchise stalwarts even more uncertain.

Scherzer took the mound at his request on just three days’ rest on Sunday, as he wanted to make one more start at Rogers Centre. The three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star received a huge ovation from the sold-out crowd as he took the mound.

Scherzer meets with the media following the season finale. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

Springer batted in the leadoff spot, as he has for so much of his memorable career. When he stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the afternoon, the crowd erupted. In the third inning, he looped a ball into left field that was originally scored a single with an error on the left fielder, allowing Springer to advance to second—but was later changed to a double. Rookie Sean Keys came in to run for Springer as the 37-year-old came off the field to a huge ovation. A clearly emotional Springer acknowledged the crowd and then went through the dugout hugging his teammates and coaches.

“I think the world of George Springer, (as a) player (and) person,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I thought the fans did an unbelievable job of recognizing him the way they did today, and I just wanted to make sure that he had a moment with the fans because he's had so many huge moments here with us.”

“He's been awesome as a teammate,” Scherzer said of Springer. “You know, where we're at in our careers—to be able to get a moment like that and for him to be at this at this stage still posting. We really care about each other and to be able to get a moment with him, that's cool.”

Despite the fact that he was pitching on short rest, Scherzer kept coming back out to the mound each inning as the game wore on.

“There was a bunch of traffic there, kind of early, but then I was able to kind of have the innings just keep turning over,” Scherzer said. “So I was pitching out of the windup, able to expand my legs, and then the adrenaline kicked in, so I was able to keep going.”

A visit to the mound from Schneider with two outs in the top of the seventh was reminiscent of the famed mound visit in Game 4 of last season’s ALCS. The Rogers Centre crowd vigorously booed Toronto’s skipper as he jogged to the mound, fearful that the visit spelled the end of Scherzer’s afternoon. Schneider had a quick word with the hurler, who responded with characteristic animation as his teammates laughed in the dugout and the fans cheered, realizing Scherzer would remain in the game.

“I told him before the game I wanted to take him out in the middle of an inning, so he could be recognized,” Schneider said. “So, first (mound visit) was, ‘How do you feel?’ He said, ‘Great.’ And I said, ‘If I give you him and you get him, you have to go back out.’ And he said, ‘I know, and that's what I'm doing.’ And I said, ‘Okie dokey,’ and I turned around.”

Scherzer said the crowd booing his manager gave him some extra incentive to keep going: “I will admit that the Rogers Center booing definitely helped me want to stay in that game.”

Scherzer ended up working into the eighth inning, firing 114 pitches, allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. The seven punchouts gave him 3,557 for his career, ninth on the all-time list, just three behind former teammate Justin Verlander, who pitched his final game on Saturday.

“The adrenaline started kicking in,” Scherzer said, “the fans started getting in it, and you know that's when I can start feeding off of the crowd here at the Rogers Center. Really, could just reach back and just, you know, I felt like I was unlimited.”

Just as Springer had done earlier, Scherzer exited the game to a thunderous ovation.

“Just an amazing day all around, hugging teammates, and for me to be able to see my kids, my wife's crying,” Scherzer said. “Just a cool moment to be able to see them because, like I said, I wanted to have them here, pitch here in Rogers Centre and have this type of game, you know, not this in Baltimore, kind of rain out at 1 p.m. with 5,000 fans. No, that's not right. You know, I wanted to do it today and have them here and be able to see them and all the smiles on their faces.”

“I told Max on the mound when he was coming out,” Schneider said, “just thank you for letting me be part of your unbelievable career, and I wouldn't want any other 42-year-old psychopath on my team other than you.”

“I said to Pete (pitching coach Pete Walker) when he was done,” Schneider said, “I said it's kind of one of those things, probably 20 years from now, you look back at this game, regardless of standing or you know playoff picture or anything, you look back at a 42-year-old Hall of Famer pitching on three days’ rest, throwing 114 pitches in the last game of the year. So, if that doesn't sum up Max Scherzer, I don't know what does.”

If this does end up being the final game of Scherzer and Springer’s careers, they both gave Toronto fans another moment to remember them by.

“Silver lining in a tough year,” Schneider said of the win, “and recognizing two pretty special players in the process.”