This Friday at Kauffman Stadium, Max Scherzer had the opportunity to pitch the Blue Jays into the postseason, but instead, the night turned into a disaster. The Royals set a franchise record with 27 hits, pounding Toronto 20-1, and Scherzer’s outing unraveled almost immediately. In doing so, the lead the Blue Jays had built through July and August, five or six games over the Yankees, shrank further. With the Jays’ AL East lead now only three games, seeing their rival yank back ground has only added salt for fans, especially given how this collapse came about.

In what was the 473rd start of his storied career, Scherzer lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up seven runs on seven hits (including two home runs) and a walk, on 45 pitches before being pulled. Early in the first, the Royals pounced: a leadoff double, a stolen base, more hits, and then Salvador Perez launched a three-run home run following a mound visit by pitching coach Pete Walker, who, before even a single out, was ejected arguing a pitch call. Michael Massey added another blast, and by the time Scherzer finally managed two outs, the damage was done. The bullpen was forced to absorb almost the entire game, as position players even had to pitch in later innings. 

After being removed, Scherzer tried to reflect on what happened: “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. I took a haymaker to the face,” he said. “I made some pitches and they got hits on them. Nothing you can do in those situations. I just got beat in all facets of the game.” Also, more philosophically, “You’re never as good as you think you are and you’re never as bad as you think you are … This start doesn’t make me think that all of the sudden I’m the worst pitcher in the world … I’ve got to turn the page and move on.” The Blue Jays signed Scherzer this season on a one-year, $15.5 million contract. That’s a significant investment for a veteran who had dealt with injuries in 2024, making only nine starts. Manager John Schneider, visibly frustrated, called it out as he saw it:

 Poor pitch location, weaker breaking ball stuff, a hung curve to Perez, and a lack of execution.  Schneider said, “You never expect Max to not get through the first inning. You want to see a little bit better location. You want to see a little more stuff on the breaking ball. He hung a curveball for the homer and Salvy’s a good hitter. They came out really hot.” Yet, he didn’t give up on his veteran pitcher. “ I’m confident and really think he’ll get back to who he is,” he finished. Dozens of things went wrong with the Blue Jays that night– Manager Schneider himself was ejected later (the sixth inning) for disputing a checked-swing call. But not all hope is lost yet. 

Their postseason fate remains within reach. They still hold their division lead and could clinch a playoff spot soon. But there still have been concrete implications when it comes to their AL East race. The Yankees, already trailing the Jays, lost their game on Friday night to Baltimore (4-2), meaning that despite the Blue Jays’ collapse, the gap in the standings remained at three games. In effect, Scherzer’s disaster didn’t allow New York to pull closer; Toronto held onto first place. With only a few games left in the regular season, every swing in the standings like this is magnified, and so, fans are not letting Max Scherzer off the hook for the ugly loss.

The Blue Jays veteran gets called out by the fans

Currently, Scherzer’s ERA stands at 5.06, and he has incurred 4 or more runs in four of his last 5 games. Enough for a fan to comment, “For all his tough talk, he sure is useless. Goodbye, old man.” Well, at 41 years, Scherzer is surely past his prime. If you remember, he had an 18-7 record with a 2.53 ERA in 2018 and won consecutive Cy Young Awards. However, with only having 9 starts last year due to a back injury, and such meltdowns this year, fans are giving up on the Blue Jays veteran.

“That’s definitely up there with the worst pitching performance I’ve ever seen in my life. Everything was LAUNCHED,” another fan added. Now the question is whether Scherzer would take the mound in the playoffs. Might be yes, because according to Sportsnaut’s Dave Litman, Blue Jays’ playoff starters will be Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, and Max Scherzer. It’s due to his postseason experience with 2x World Series rings and a good 4-1 record last month. However, fans are not convinced.

One user said, “He cannot be a starter in the playoffs.” “If we get to the postseason, he should not be there,” another added.

While the fans are wary about Scherzer’s meltdown, they are more concerned about how the overburdened bullpen will take on the next games. “And the pen will now be destroyed for the stretch run. The Yankees are winning the division. It’s written in stone.” One fan shared how the Blue Jays’ bullpen is playing today’s game from the second inning. And this means they will be exhausted by the next game.

Result? A few more potential meltdowns are waiting, while the Yankees would go on winning the Orioles series and eventually the division.