The Toronto Blue Jays lost the first two games of the American League Championship Series at home, but have responded with two straight road wins against the Seattle Mariners to even the series at two.
In Game 3, it was pitcher Shane Bieber who turned back the clock and gave the Blue Jays six strong innings, while the offense exploded for 13 runs. In Game 4, it was pitcher Max Scherzer's turn.
The veteran turned back the clock as well and delivered 5.2 innings and gave up two runs in Toronto's 8-2 win to even the ALCS at 2-2. However, the night didn't go by without an emotional meeting on the mound where Scherzer convinced his manager to let him continue.
Scherzer displays 'Mad Max' nickname
Throughout his 18-year career in the MLB, Scherzer has developed the "Mad Max" nickname when he's on the mound for the emotions he pitches with.
On Thursday night, that was on full display, especially when manager John Schneider tried to pull him in the fifth inning.
"I've been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound. I think at that point, you know, there's numbers, there's projections, there's strategy, and there's people," Schneider said postgame. "So I was trusting people, you know, and I think in that moment, you kind of relive every conversation I've had with him over the course of the year, and trusted him to make pitches."
Max Scherzer asked very nicely to stay in the game. pic.twitter.com/cwKKB3WUl6
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2025
Scherzer made pitches and got out of the fifth inning unscathed. He went back out to start the sixth inning and made it through two outs before the Blue Jays pulled the veteran starter.
However, in the fifth inning mound visit, it was the first time this season the Schneider really saw that emotion out of the 41-year-old, and he loved every bit of it.
"It was awesome. I thought he was going to kill me. It was great," Schneider said. "You know, he locked eyes with me, you know, both colors as I walked out. It's not fake, that's the thing. It's not fake.
Max Scherzer was bursting into the interview room as John Schneider finished his media session, so they passed in the doorway:
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) October 17, 2025
Schneider, with a big slap on Scherzer’s back:
“All right, you fuckin’ psycho, get in there.” #BlueJays
"He has this Mad Max persona, but he backed it up tonight. So it was, you know, the infielders had a good laugh too out there, and he got the job done."
Mad Max did get the job done and now the Blue Jays have evened the ALCS and have the chance to win a third straight game in Seattle on Friday and return to Toronto one win away from the World Series.
On the flip side, the Mariners have one game left in Seattle to try to regain the advantage in the series before it heads back to Toronto. The two teams get back at it on Friday afternoon at 3:08 p.m. from T-Mobile Park.
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