The Texas Rangers will get an added jolt to their pitching rotation when they host Game 3 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night as starting pitcher Max Scherzer returns to the mound.
Scherzer has not pitched since September 12 after sustaining a strain of his right teres major muscle in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He was left off the roster during previous playoff rounds as he continued rehab.
“All I can do is go out there and give it my all,” Scherzer told the media during a press conference on Tuesday. “Go out there and compete as long as I can [and] listen to my arm. That’s all I can do is give it all I’ve got.”
The Rangers acquired Scherzer from the New York Mets on July 29 as part of a myriad of moves made by the club ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star went 4-2 with a 3.20 earned run average (ERA) after the trade and is 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA overall this season.
Scherzer’s impact extends far beyond this season. The Rangers have a young team, and he will be making his 23rd career playoff start, having won a World Series with the Washington Nationals and a pennant in both the American League and the National League.
Rangers starting pitching has fared well this postseason, boasting a 2.24 ERA over 40 and two-thirds innings. Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery have combined to make six of the seven starts, and Scherzer deepens the rotation while simultaneously boosting the Rangers’ chances.
“All these postseason starts are precious,” Scherzer said. “There’s no one way to say about it. You’re playing for a ring. When you get to this point of the year, this is what you dream of. All the sacrifices you make in your life [and] all the hard work you put in throughout the offseason is to get to this moment [and] to get to this spot.”
Scherzer will take the mound for Game 3, attempting to help the Rangers extend their playoff winning streak to eight games and put Texas one win away from its first World Series appearance since 2011.