Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer turned back the clock against the Chicago Cubs. The former World Series champion out-dueled Matthew Boyd, giving up just one run across seven innings. He needed Davis Schneider to make a highlight reel catch, but the veteran was dominant. However, he walked away from the start confused about how batters attacked him.

Scherzer is 41 years old, one of the oldest starters in Major League Baseball. The Blue Jays pitcher has endured his struggles this season, but Toronto manager John Schneider has him second in the rotation behind Kevin Gausman. The former National League Cy Young Award winner has had good moments this season, but opponents are not as afraid of him as they used to be.

The Cubs got give hits and worked one walk against Scherzer on Thursday. The starter talked to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson about the Chicago batters' mindset. He took advantage of them being overly opportunistic at the plate.

“I was anticipating them to come out aggressive, and man, they came out even more aggressive than I thought,” Scherzer said. “It came down to just, ‘You’ve got to locate these pitches.’ They were going to be aggressive. Strike one, locate it, get the ball where you want it. It’s OK if they swing at it.”

Scherzer's strategy worked perfectly. Even though Boyd matched him with seven innings of work, the home run he gave up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was all Toronto needed. Scherzer's start gave Schneider and the rest of the Blue Jays' coaching staff confidence that he can hold his own in the playoffs.

The win takes Toronto to 71-51. Schneider's team leads the American League and is in the driver's seat in the AL East. There is still a ways to go, but the Blue Jays figure to be the team to beat. They hope that Scherzer's success continues as they pursue a title.

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