Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer hopes performance against the A's is just the beginning
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Max Scherzer, for one night at least, offered a throwback performance.
He stifled Athletics hitters for five innings on Friday night before finally running into some trouble in the sixth, but even then he limited the damage before exiting in a 7-6 Toronto victory.
Scherzer (1-0) finished with eight strikeouts while allowing five hits.
'He was dominating areas up and down and out,' Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. 'He is who he is for a reason.'
Scherzer claimed his first victory since July 25 last year when he pitched for Texas and the Rangers defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1.
Injuries didn't help. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened last season on the injured list after undergoing back surgery. Then shortly after recording that victory against the White Sox, he spent more than a month on the IL because of shoulder fatigue.
Scherzer signed a $15.5 million, one-year contract with the Blue Jays in the offseason, but again experienced health issues. He went on this 60-day IL because of an injured thumb.
'My body's good,' Scherzer said. 'As long as my thumb is healthy, I can be myself. I can pitch like this. It's all about my thumb.'
This was his fourth start since rejoining the rotation, and Scherzer made the most of it. He struck out five consecutive batters at one point and shut out the A's over five innings, allowing just singles to Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom. The A's began to get to Scherzer in the sixth, with Kurtz hitting a two-run home run and Soderstrom getting a solo shot.
Those homers cut the Blue Jays' lead to 7-3, but Scherzer induced a flyout to Miguel Andujar to end the threat.
'It's my first time at 90 pitches, lengthening my arm out for the first time to the sixth inning this year,' Scherzer said. 'Get acclimated to that pitch count and hopefully get rolling. I'm happy about this, especially when we win. When I get my chance after the (All-Star) break, keep this going.'
Schneider said he thought the break came at a good time for the 40-year-old Scherzer.
'Hopefully, he can build off of this and get him out there pretty regularly,' Schneider said. 'I think reshuffling the rotation if we can to give him a little more rest would be great. I'll take him on the mound any day of the week.'
__
Mark Anderson, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
41 minutes ago
- National Post
Kevin Gausman and Blue Jays lack sharpness and a killer instinct in loss to A's
The Blue Jays nearly blew a big lead in Friday night's series opener in Sacramento before holding off the host Athletics. Article content In the second of a three-game set, the A's responded to an early 2-0 Blue Jays advantage and would emerge as the better team Saturday night in a 4-3 win. Article content Article content The series rubber match will be played Sunday. The Jays weren't clean in the loss, couldn't generate much offence and as a result they didn't give themselves a shot of at least being assured of winning a sixth consecutive series. Article content Article content Trailing 4-2, the Jays were poised to stage a rally in the eighth with a leadoff walk, a double and a sacrifice fly, but swinging strikeouts by Addison Barger and Leo Jimenez limited the visitors to only one run. Article content Toronto also threatened in the ninth when pinch-hitter Joey Loperfido led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second. But once again back-to-back strikeouts by Ernie Clement and George Springer against fire-balling closer Mason Miller ended the game. Article content The following are three takeaways on a night the A's would end their five-game losing streak to the Blue Jays, who maintained their two-game cushion atop the AL East following an earlier Yankees loss to the Cubs. Article content 1. The Gausman grind Article content After leaving behind a June swoon with three consecutive quality starts, Kevin Gausman's five-inning 19th start of the season was an uneven step back. Article content The veteran right-hander produced clean innings in the second and fourth but otherwise allowed too much traffic on the basepaths in the others. Article content Article content He got out of an early jam in the first but wasn't as fortunate in the third and fifth innings, when A's slugger Brent Rooker tagged him for an RBI double and a two-run homer — his 20th of the season — that gave the A's a 4-2 lead. Article content With his pitch total up to 96, Gausman was replaced by Tommy Nance, making his season debut, to start the sixth. Article content After striking out nine Angels in his previous start last weekend, Gausman managed only two against the A's. Article content 2. Error of his ways Article content For the most part, Tyler Heineman has given the Blue Jays his all, whether it's behind the plate or at it. Article content He's no Danny Jansen, whose presence, combined with Alejandro Kirk, allowed the club to have one of baseball's best catching tandems. Article content It's no knock on the 35-year-old Heineman to say he's a serviceable backup, even as his .329 average in 82 at-bats this season is easily the best of his career. Article content But when he does get the start, as he did Saturday, Heineman needs to be better. Article content The game wasn't even three innings old when Heineman was called for two catcher interference calls — the second one figuring in prominently in the A's two-run third inning — and was charged with a throwing error.
Canada Standard
an hour ago
- Canada Standard
All-Star Brent Rooker powers Athletics past Blue Jays
(Photo credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images) All-Star Brent Rooker hit a tiebreaking two-run homer and drove in three runs overall to lead the Athletics to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif. Lawrence Butler also drove in a run as the Athletics evened the three-game series at one win apiece. Rooker and Miguel Andujar each had two hits and Mason Miller registered his 18th save for the Athletics. Leo Jimenez homered and Ernie Clement and Bo Bichette had two hits apiece for Toronto, which lost for the just second time in 13 games. In the top of the ninth, Miller walked Joey Loperfido, who was sacrificed to second by Nathan Lukes. Clement and George Springer were both called out on strikes to end it. Jacob Lopez (3-5) gave up two runs and four hits over five innings for the A's. He struck out five and walked two. It was a big turnaround for Lopez, who was pounded while lasting just 1 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays in Toronto on May 29. He allowed seven runs and six hits in the 12-0 loss. Elvis Alvarado was solid in relief on Saturday for the Athletics. He followed Lopez and allowed one hit and one walk in 1 2/3 innings and he struck out four. Toronto's Kevin Gausman (6-7) allowed four runs (three earned) and five hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked two. All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson of the Athletics returned after a three-game absence due to a left hand contusion. He went 1-for-4. Nick Kurtz stroked a two-out single in the fifth off Gausman before Rooker came to the plate. The Home Run Derby contestant warmed up for the competition by sending a drive over the left-center wall to give the Athletics a 4-2 lead. Toronto moved within one in the eighth as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a leadoff walk off Michael Kelly and Bichette followed with a double. Alejandro Kirk then hit a sacrifice fly to score Guerrero. Sean Newcomb replaced Kelly and struck out Addison Barger and Jimenez to end the threat. Toronto grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Jimenez smacked a two-out homer to left-center. The Blue Jays added a run in the third as Clement led off with a double and scored on Bichette's two-out two-bagger. The Athletics fought back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Denzel Clarke reached on an infield single and moved up another base on catcher Tyler Heineman's throwing error. Butler followed with an RBI single. One out later, Kurtz reached on catcher's interference by Heineman. Rooker followed with a run-scoring double to right to tie it at 2. --Field Level Media
Canada News.Net
6 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
All-Star Brent Rooker powers Athletics past Blue Jays
(Photo credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images) All-Star Brent Rooker hit a tiebreaking two-run homer and drove in three runs overall to lead the Athletics to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif. Lawrence Butler also drove in a run as the Athletics evened the three-game series at one win apiece. Rooker and Miguel Andujar each had two hits and Mason Miller registered his 18th save for the Athletics. Leo Jimenez homered and Ernie Clement and Bo Bichette had two hits apiece for Toronto, which lost for the just second time in 13 games. In the top of the ninth, Miller walked Joey Loperfido, who was sacrificed to second by Nathan Lukes. Clement and George Springer were both called out on strikes to end it. Jacob Lopez (3-5) gave up two runs and four hits over five innings for the A's. He struck out five and walked two. It was a big turnaround for Lopez, who was pounded while lasting just 1 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays in Toronto on May 29. He allowed seven runs and six hits in the 12-0 loss. Elvis Alvarado was solid in relief on Saturday for the Athletics. He followed Lopez and allowed one hit and one walk in 1 2/3 innings and he struck out four. Toronto's Kevin Gausman (6-7) allowed four runs (three earned) and five hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked two. All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson of the Athletics returned after a three-game absence due to a left hand contusion. He went 1-for-4. Nick Kurtz stroked a two-out single in the fifth off Gausman before Rooker came to the plate. The Home Run Derby contestant warmed up for the competition by sending a drive over the left-center wall to give the Athletics a 4-2 lead. Toronto moved within one in the eighth as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a leadoff walk off Michael Kelly and Bichette followed with a double. Alejandro Kirk then hit a sacrifice fly to score Guerrero. Sean Newcomb replaced Kelly and struck out Addison Barger and Jimenez to end the threat. Toronto grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Jimenez smacked a two-out homer to left-center. The Blue Jays added a run in the third as Clement led off with a double and scored on Bichette's two-out two-bagger. The Athletics fought back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Denzel Clarke reached on an infield single and moved up another base on catcher Tyler Heineman's throwing error. Butler followed with an RBI single. One out later, Kurtz reached on catcher's interference by Heineman. Rooker followed with a run-scoring double to right to tie it at 2.
