Rangers’ win-now Max Scherzer gamble backfiring creates messy World Series scenario

ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer was acquired by the Rangers for today. Now. The present.

He turned 39 three days before the Rangers acquired him. So this obviously was not about tomorrow even if as part of the July 27 trade Texas picked up his 2024 option. This franchise, which began in 1961 as the Washington Senators, has spent the past two years fully committed financially to winning its first-ever title.

In dealing Luisangel Acuña, who instantly became the Mets’ top prospect, to obtain Scherzer, the Rangers were somehow even further intensifying these efforts. And the Rangers might indeed win that elusive championship, but Scherzer appears as if he will mainly be a frustrated and frustrating figure in the effort.

Starting for just the third time since Sept. 12, Scherzer lasted three shutout innings before exiting after throwing one warm-up pitch prior to the fourth. He said his back tightened up in the third, there were efforts during the top of the fourth to loosen him up, but that he went into “full spasm” and became unable to pitch.

Scherzer was acquired to pitch a game just like this — the 119th World Series tied entering Game 3 — his opponent Brandon Pfaadt, who was 9 when Scherzer made his 2008 debut. Instead, for the fifth time in his last five postseason starts, the veteran righty failed to clear 4 ²/₃ innings. This is now part of his postseason legacy, which is a mixture of good, bad and unavailable.

Jon Gray relieved Scherzer and authored three shutout innings to provide the spine of a 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks that pushed Texas two wins away from a championship.

But those two wins became more arduous. Gray was an option to start Tuesday’s Game 4. Now, the Rangers will likely be matching the Diamondbacks’ bullpen game with one of their own. Adolis Garcia, the ALCS MVP and owner of eight homers this postseason, reached for his left side as he completed an eighth-inning swing. He was removed, was due for a postgame diagnostic test and his loss would be far more devastating than Scherzer’s.

But Scherzer is now iffy to be used if this goes seven games. He said history with this ailment is that he will know after taking various medications if he might be in play after 48 hours. But the idea that he would be a weight lifter to a first Texas championship now is farfetched.

“I was feeling good,” Scherzer said. “I was finally feeling like I was getting to finally get deep into a game and finally get some rhythm and finally get going here and then, having a little spasm, so it’s frustrating.”

In his last five postseason starts dating to 2021, he has totaled 18 ²/₃ innings. Mets fans will miserably recall that 4 ²/₃-inning, seven-run blowout in Wild Card Series Game 1 that set the tone for the Padres’ series upset last year.

On the same date four years earlier, Scherzer had pitched five two-run innings as the Nationals won World Series Game 7 over the Astros and their first title. He was supposed to start Game 5, but his neck locked up and he didn’t go. He was supposed to start NLCS Game 6 for the Dodgers in 2021, but reported his arm locked up and Los Angeles was eliminated with Walker Buehler moved in to start on short rest.

Scherzer has reported a number of aches, pains and worse since, including a shoulder injury that cost him the final three weeks of the regular season, wild-card round and Division Series. He offered just 6 ²/₃ innings against seven runs in the ALCS versus Houston.

“These are just little, just an ailment, there’s definitely a path forward for me to get out of this and get back onto the mound,” Scherzer said. “It’s a spasm so you’re locked up right now. Once you get the spasm to clear and the muscle relaxes then you’re good to go again. So it’s not like it’s a strain, just a spasm. It’s just extremely painful when you’re locked up.”

The Rangers are tough-minded enough to persevere. They are now 9-0 on the road in this postseason, breaking the 1996 Yankees record for road wins in a playoff. On Monday night, Texas won the first World Series game in this stadium since 2001 World Series Game 7 when Mariano Rivera was walked off by Luis Gonzalez.

Texas did all its scoring in the third inning helped mainly by a two-run homer by Corey Seager. The Rangers’ bullpen after Scherzer — Gray, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman (one run) and Jose Leclerc — provided six strong innings. But now what? No Gray for several days. Garcia? Scherzer?

The Rangers would rather be in this position with two wins in three games. But they may have to try to win two more shorthanded. It is pretty clear with Scherzer that the most “now” of their moves will have little impact today, in the present, on whether Texas actually wins that first title.