Scherzer ready to make return
Max Scherzer will start Game 3 of the AL Championship Series for the Rangers against the Astros on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, has been out since Sept. 12 because of a muscle strain in his shoulder.
“He’s ready. And that’s why he’ll be starting Game 3,” manager Bruce Bochy said before Game 2 on Monday, which ended too late for this edition. “A few days ago back (at) home he threw 69 pitches to hitters and came — he came out of that fine. And during that time, he maintained his stamina stuff. So, he was available yesterday. In fact, he said he wanted to pitch yesterday if needed, if it went extra innings or something.”
Bochy said Scherzer, who was traded from the Mets this summer, is excited for his return.
“Believe me, he’s been wearing me out a little bit, just assuring us that, hey, I’m healthy, I’m ready to go,” Bochy said.
The 39-year-old Scherzer went 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 starts this season. He went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts after the trade.
Scherzer is 7-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 27 postseason games that include 22 starts. When he appears for the Rangers, it will be the fifth team he has pitched for in the postseason after the Tigers, Nationals, Dodgers and Mets.
While with the Nationals, he started Games 1 and 7 of the 2019 World Series against the Astros. He got the win in Game 1 and didn’t factor in the decision in Game 7, won by the Nationals at Minute Maid Park in Houston. He had a 3.60 ERA over 10 innings in that series.
He went 1-1 against the Astros this season. He struck out eight and allowed one run in eight innings on June 19. But the Astros tagged him for seven runs, all of those coming on three homers, in three innings on Sept. 6.
Gallen roots against home team:
Zac Gallen took a seat at the podium on an NFL Sunday to discuss how one of the best pitchers in baseball this season planned to handle the Phillies’ potent lineup.
But keep the Q&A short. Gallen had a game to catch, one where the hardest hitters wore green and white, rather than Phillies red and white.
The NFC champion Eagles were trying to stay undefeated. (They ended up losing to the Jets.)
Gallen can’t be blamed for trying to catch a score. The D-backs ace grew up in South Jersey and has “Go Birds” on the bio of an Instagram feed dotted with reminders of where he was raised. There’s a photo of a cheesesteak from Pat’s Steaks, of the shore, of water ice. All the familiar staples, except one — anything to do with the Phillies.
Gallen, a 17-game winner in 2023, actually grew up a Cardinals fan because he loved Mark McGwire. It was his mother, Stacey, who is a Phillies diehard fan and took Gallen and his brother to games at Citizens Bank Park.
Now, mom and friends and family — “I’m playing for free here with all the tickets,” Gallen cracked — were back in Philly on Monday to root for Gallen rather than the home team in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series, which ended too late for this edition.