Mets pitcher Max Scherzer had arguably the worst outing of his playoffs career in Game 1 of the NL Wildcard series against the Padres.
Max Scherzer is supposed to be one of the most dangerous pitchers in the playoffs. His team had won six of his last seven playoff appearances going into Friday night’s wildcard game against the Padres.
Mets fans hoping for a dominant performance to begin the postseason were sorely disappointed. Even Mets fans just hoping for a minimally effective outing didn’t get their money’s worth.
Scherzer was straight-up bad. Historically bad.
Max Scherzer made history in the absolute worst way in Game 1
This is Max Scherzer's 27th postseason appearance and 22nd postseason start. Never before tonight has he allowed three home runs. The Padres lead, 6-0, in the fifth.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 8, 2022
Max Scherzer allowed seven earned runs tonight, the most he's allowed in a playoff game in his career. https://t.co/SuiP8fqQJf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 8, 2022
In 27 postseason appearances, Scherzer had never given up more than two home runs. He allowed four to San Diego. Josh Bell got him, then Trent Grishom, then Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado.
By the time Scherzer came off the mound in the fifth inning, the Mets trailed 7-0.
The seven earned runs the pitcher allowed were the most he’s ever allowed in a playoff game.
Scherzer couldn’t have picked a worse time to put in that kind of performance. The Mets were already reeling from giving up the lead in the NL East to the Braves. Having to appear in the NL Wildcard was itself a disappointment. Starting out with a bad loss was not part of the plan.
A new pitcher will take the mound on Saturday for Game 2 with the Mets’ playoff lives on the line. It could be Jacob deGrom. Even with a strong performance from deGrom, New York will still need to find some offense by Game 2 because the bats certainly weren’t coming through to bail Scherzer out in Game 1.