Max Scherzer called this the most important game of his life. It's true! At least playoff wise. Max has never started a "Win and your in, Lose and go home" playoff game. However he has started several "Lose and go home" games or "Win and move on" games
"Lose and Go Home"
2011 ALCS - Detroit down 3 games to 1. A wild Scherzer gets bombed by Texas, not making it out of the third. Final line : 2.1 IP, 5 hits, 4 walks, 6 ER. The punishment doesn't stop. Detroit loses 15-5.
2012 WS - Detroit down 3 to 0. Scherzer puts up a pretty standard effort against Giants. 6 and a third, 7 hits, 1 walk, 8K, 3 runs. Tigers though can't score more than 3 themselves and Coke loses it in 10th. Tigers downed 4-3.
2013 ALCS - Detroit down 3 games to 2. Scherzer is wild but battles. 6.1 IP, 5BB, 4 hits.but only 3 runs. Tiger though can't manage any significant offense and Red Sox and lose 5-2.
Overall Record : 0-3
Overall Performance : Eh. First time out was rough but gave a winnable performance the other two outgins.
"Win and move on"
2012 ALDS - Detoit up 2 to 1. Scherzer goes 5.1 IP, holding Oakland to 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 8K. Pulled a little quick maybe but Dotel in relief did his job. Valverde though blows it in the 9th. 4-3 A's.
2012 ALCS - Detroit up 3 to 0. With zero pressure Scherzer pitches a gem. 5.2IP, 2H, 10K. Pulled at 98 pitches mainly because they could with a 6 to 1 lead. Tigers win eliminating the Yankees 8-1.
Overall Record : 1-1
Overall Performance : Pretty good. He seems to be a bit wild, as he tended to be back in the day, but also hard to score on. Perhaps the pressure on the other team worked in his favor which would bode well for tomorrow.
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Dang. The Lose and Go Home scenarios sound so much like a lot of Scherzer starts: not too bad, but gives up a couple of runs early and it doesn't matter whether he settles down or not because his team can't plate anything themselves anyway. Rookie or short-rest blister-laden ripe for picking average Joe rises to the occasion and pitches a two-hit shutout while Rick Schu stares at his laptop.
Ugh.
Please Max et al, prove me wrong for once. PLEASE!!!!! I promise I'll never doubt you again until the sun supernovas....or until the next game whichever comes first.
You're scaring me, Sammy.
"Rookie or short-rest blister-laden ripe for picking average Joe rises to the occasion and pitches a two-hit shutout . . ." reads like one of those improbable scenarios that becomes yet another entry in the body of Dodger lore.
Much rather have Dusty's choices tomorrow than Roberts. He burned a couple relievers getting them hot for that 7th inning, and got nothing from them but a tie ballgame. Sure, they didn't throw much in the game, but as we saw with Williams, getting guys up to get hot still takes a toll on those arms.
Dear Max: I'd like to request a 20K, no-hitter tomorrow. Hopefully that's not too much?
Danny: You've been a knucklehead who doesn't listen to coaches at all. Now Boswell is calling for your head. Time to run into one with bases loaded to save your playoff job.
Batters 1-6: Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. Seriously, you guys have been the big part of scoring 8 earned runs on Kershaw. Rich Hill is not Kershaw. Rich Hill's pitches should look like beachballs.
Bullpen: Get the game to Melancon. If I see him pitching tomorrow with a lead, I'll be fine. The Pepto and Tums will help. Win this one for Stras and Wilson.
All I have, folks. I am thrilled the Nats got this far with Stras and Wilson down. I have been entertained. Please, make me choose to cheer for my team (Nats) against my boyhood team (Cubs).
RIch Hill throws like 60MPH. I don't see why short rest would affect him at all, unless he tears open a blister. I expect him to do well and for it to come down to some luck "late and close".
Harper~ What your synopsis of Max's post season record says to me is 'he has been there and done that' and it makes me feel pretty good. I hope the boys go into each at bat with a plan to wear out Hill and get to the LA pen then it will be feast time.
I think the 10th man will be a huge factor and thought the Nats crowd was really into it on games 1 and 2, and I'm sure people will be going nuts tomorrow. But geeezus, these 8pm starts in October can suck. I'm just glad my wife had enough foresight to book a room two weeks ago so don't have to do the metro nightmare.
After thinking about it for the last 24 hours, I've realized that Harper's right; we can expect Scherzer to put in a quality start, but we can't expect him to shut the Dodgers out. He's going to give up 2 or 3 runs.
The guy(s) on the mound for LA are there to be had. We need be smart at the plate, and we need to be loose at the plate.
If we hit, we win this game. If we don't hit, we're toast.
@Sammy Kent - I'm with you, win this game and he's forever in my good graces, even if he burns down nats park at some point later on. Let's just freaking win this
@Z11 - Fatigue can also impact your spin rates on your curves, and blisters same thing. So there's def SOMETHING to the pitching on short rest thing for him. Who knows though, could always just get that hero effort
Man I'm nervous
Strangely feel calm today. Either:
A) I'm a jaded DC fan and know the story is already written where we're toast and just waiting for the shoe to drop.
B) I feel that Max has this, will be prowling from the 1st inning and the hot bats will get to Hill early.
I want to say it's B. but there's that nagging little voice in my head that says it really could be A. Another thing to add about Hill. He's the Dodgers' version of Gio. If things start going bad, he starts yelling and having a fit on the mound. The key is to get him talking early and don't let him get rolling with 1,2,3 innings.
Thought: do you consider using Roark out of the pen if needed? I would imagine not, since the bullpen has been solid, but Dusty did that back before the All-Star Break just to drive home the point against the Mets. But of course that really throws off your rotation for the NLCS if you get there, and it's probably unnecessary given the aforementioned bullpen performance.
Anyway, this one's for all the marbles, and no matter what happens, you can't really do much better in a playoff matchup than game 5 at home with the NL leader in strikeouts, WAR (among pitchers), and of course wins, on the mound (all while #1 in innings pitched).
@Mythra I think it could be really good for the Nats that Hill seems like a head case. Unless he gets crazy, gets yanked, and Urias has ice water in his veins.
I drew motivation from watching the 'St. Crispian's Day Speech' last night. It's epic.
Shame to the man whose mind is backwards now!!!
I just...can we not give up a run in the first inning? That's all I want.
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