After Wednesday’s offensive eruption the Toronto Blue Jays gave Max Scherzer the ball in Game 4 of the ALCS. And Scherzer gave the Blue Jays a vintage performance, earning his first postseason win since 2019.

The three-time Cy Young winner also gave manager John Schneider PTSD. The Blue Jays skipper made the mistake of visiting the mound in the fifth inning. Schneider was met with Scherzer’s infamous intensity as the veteran pitcher made it clear he was not interested in coming out of the game.

Schneider wisely decided not to make a pitching change and backed away slowly. Scherzer then struck out Randy Arozarena to end the inning.

After the Blue Jays’ Game 4 win, Schneider addressed his trip to the mound. “I thought he was going to kill me,” Schneider said, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. “It was great.”

Max Scherzer turns back clock in Blue Jays' Game 4 Win

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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning during game four of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park.
Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Beyond his healthy fear of Scherzer, Schneider explained his decision to stick with the hurler. “There’s numbers, there’s projections, there’s strategy, and then there’s people … I was trusting people,” Schneider said, via MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.

Scherzer rewarded his manager's trust with a clutch performance in Game 4. After allowing a solo home run to Josh Naylor in the second inning, the 18th-year veteran locked in. He allowed two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five batters in 5.2 innings, earning the win.

Scherzer even picked off a runner for the first time in nine years in Game 4. The eight-time All-Star caught Leo Rivas venturing a bit too far from first base in the third inning. Scherzer fired the ball to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and, after a replay review, Rivas was ruled out. It was Scherzer's first pick off since 2016 and his first ever in 31 postseason games.

The teams meet again on Friday with the series tied 2-2. Kevin Gausman will take the mound for Toronto in Game 5 and Bryce Miller gets the ball for Seattle.