Max Scherzer. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
On a day where the New York Mets desperately needed someone to step up, it was Max Scherzer who rose to the occasion. His individual performance in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies signals that the right-hander is beginning to showcase some of the form he had in 2022. Scherzer battled all afternoon, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out seven batters across six innings.
The Philadelphia Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single from Trea Turner. Two batters later, with runners standing on second and third base, Scherzer struck out Bryce Harper to limit the damage.
Just seconds after the punch out, the Mets’ starter was seen in the dugout, making his case to go out for the following inning. Buck Showalter and his staff were convinced, as Scherzer went back out of the field to pitch and scoreless bottom of the sixth.
Speaking of punch outs, Scherzer generated a game-high 14 swings and misses. This helped improve Scherzer’s whiff rate into the league’s 71st percentile. The league’s 77th percentile chase rate also has helped the increased whiffs by batters.
A sense of urgency was prevalent in his comments after the game, as the veteran understood how important a win could be for this struggling group. “We have got to win series right now and this is a big one,” Scherzer said. “Especially in the division… I am not caught up in my results. I am focused on my process and how my pitches play and that’s what I put my attention to. Results come and go.”
Scherzer has separated himself as the best starter in Mets’ rotation over his last eight starts (3.19 ERA over this time), an unbeaten stretch for him on a personal level. Consecutive road starts against the Houston Astros and the Phillies in which he has dominated reminds many that he is still capable of being one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
He did a fantastic job of mixing his slider in, which has looked much sharper as of late, to play off his four-seam fastball against the Phillies lineup. “He’s smart, but he’s competitive,” Showalter said. “He doesn’t let his emotions get in the way of giving his team a chance to win.”
Scherzer moved to 7-2 on the season, owing a 3.95 ERA through 13 starts. His underlying metrics paint an even prettier picture as he owns an xBA and xERA in the league’s 74th and 71st percentiles, respectively. He has certainly emerged as the Mets’ ace once again this year.
The Mets will look to win their first series in almost a month Sunday, as Carlos Carrasco takes the ball against Zack Wheeler.
