NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS VS DODGERS

October 10, 2021

Max Scherzer

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. With a day in between your last start and your one tomorrow, was there anything in specific that you were working on in the adjustments you were looking to make to prepare for tomorrow?

MAX SCHERZER: Yeah. Just kind of clean up my mechanic as little bit. I thought we identified something on the lower half that I can kind of grab on to, and threw a bullpen with it, felt pretty good, so full slate for tomorrow.

Q. Huge win last night. What were you thinking when you saw Julio get that RBI single?

MAX SCHERZER: Yeah, that was great, just to be able to, he got it going. He scored our first run and all of a sudden Mookie gets a hit and gets things going to give us a lead. And that always feels good in the postseason anytime you have a lead no matter how early or late it is.

And then obviously, then our offense exploded there later with some big hits in the bottom part of the lineup. AJ and Belli both with huge RBI situations. So that's what it's going to take. It takes a total team effort to win these games, especially against a team as good as the Giants.

Q. You mentioned you found something, you think, in your lower half. Do you think that started in Colorado at all, threw you out of whack, and maybe in retrospect you needed to figure something out?

MAX SCHERZER: That's too much to, too many little things to think about, too many little things can go wrong to just blame it on pitching in Colorado. I really don't like going down that road or even thinking like that.

There's times where you get a little out of sync and that happens. It's about grinding through it, figuring out what it is, grab on to something and find something that works for you and get back, get your mechanics all locked back in and find the rhythm. Once you can find that rhythm then everything flows.

Q. You mentioned the Wild Card game. After the Wild Card game that you, you think you found it third, fourth inning, something like that, was that the lower half stuff you're talking about?

MAX SCHERZER: No, not in the fourth inning. Hitting is the hardest thing to do in sports. I always say pitching is the most complicated (laughing). The angle of your foot, this, that, you elbow, your glove, all these different things you look at, little different things that you feel that affect the direction that you go towards the plate, that affect deception, that affect the timing, that affect every little thing that it takes to be able to deliver a ball accurately.

So for me I understand what I try to do mechanically, try to get right, and go out there and execute pitches.

Q. After two games in this Giants-Dodgers series, I know you've pitched in huge games, World Series games, you've seen huge games in person. How would you compare this to other playoff games you've been a part of?

MAX SCHERZER: This is playoff baseball where those fan bases are just absolutely diehard ready to win and they want to see us obviously win. Our Dodger fan base definitely wants us to definitely beat the Giants. It's personal to them, so it's personal to us. We want to win, we respect the heck out of the Giants and what they, how good they are, but you got to go out there and believe that you can beat them.

Q. I know you didn't face the Giants as much as some of your teammates did, but what makes them so difficult to face?

MAX SCHERZER: Just looking at them, I mean, they just have different ways to beat you with different types of bats, righties, lefties. Their bats right now are Bryant and Crawford and Posey. I mean, that's the heart of their order and they're getting a lot of production out of it. And then the bats that surround it as well.

So they present challenges to you and it's going to, like I said, you have to execute every pitch that you throw because if you make mistakes against this team -- they led the league in homers for a reason, so obviously they can take it deep if you make a mistake.

Q. When you came over here was this exactly what you envisioned or has this exceeded your expectations?

MAX SCHERZER: In terms of what?

Q. Just fun, the atmosphere, the environment.

MAX SCHERZER: Well, I mean, it's kind of what I expected, hey, let's be in the postseason, be against a good team. This is the moment that you dream of as a baseball player, to be in the postseason and have the opportunity to go out there and pitch in it. It's funny how it starts at the beginning of the year, but here I am in this stage having the opportunity to go out there and win a ball game.

Q. You've pitched in the postseason against the Giants. Obviously that was the last game of the World Series with Detroit. Just wondering, there are a couple of holdovers on their side from that series, wondering if you reflect on that start at all before this next one?

MAX SCHERZER: No, not at all. That's too long ago. That's ancient in baseball terms, 2012 versus 2021, so nine years ago.

So, no, but you, but the guys that are still there on their team, obviously they're good for a reason. They have evolved. They're able to adapt to the league and continue to make changes and I'm sure they're going to be as prepared as heck to face me and understand what I can do with the baseball. So it will be a heck of a challenge to go up against them.

Q. Curious your thoughts about a Game 3 and a best of 5. Is it any like more important than other games? I mean, it could bring you one game closer to a clinch.

MAX SCHERZER: They're all important. I mean, yesterday was really important for us to win. So I can't say one is -- every game's more important than the next, so I can't really say that 3 is the most important of the series.

Q. And regarding 2012 is there maybe one thing you remember from that World Series, I mean, you guys had a great team, but they kind of came in maybe unexpectedly and had the sweep, or that game in general?

MAX SCHERZER: Just reflecting upon it, you know, I know our guys in Detroit there, our 2012, 2013, 2014 team, to not be able to punch through and get a ring we all look back and really believe that, man, we had the team to be able to do it. We can't believe that we didn't. Unfortunately we had one shot at it, wasn't able to get it done, but we had some great, great teams there in Detroit.

Q. With regards to your competition I'm wondering about Buster Posey in particular and what you've been seeing from him in this past season?

MAX SCHERZER: I don't think it's just this past season. It's been his whole career. He's great hitter. He knows what he's doing at the plate. I've faced him a handful of times. I think we traded paint. He's got me. I've gotten him. So it should be a good matchup.

Q. What's your favorite thing about Trea Turner?

MAX SCHERZER: (Laughing) where should I go with this? (Laughing) I mean, it's hard to pinpoint it to one. He's a great clubhouse guy, gets along with everybody, has a good sense of humor, and then obviously what he can do on the ball field. Every facet of the game that he touches he impacts it, offense, defense, base running, you name it. He's a total package. He's obviously one of the best ones in the league.

Q. You laughed immediately. Is there a funny story or two that stick out regarding him with you?

MAX SCHERZER: Yeah, but I can't say it. (Laughing).

Q. How emotionally different going to the Game 3 like tied and under 2?

MAX SCHERZER: I don't know, every game in the postseason is must win. That's how you always look at it. There's never a game that you come into the postseason and you say, I'm okay with losing in the postseason. That's never been a mentality. You come in wanting to win every single time.

So being tied, up 2-0, down 2-0, it doesn't matter. You always want to win. So I mean, there's just no other, there's no other way to play baseball and everybody approaches it that way, every decision's manufactured that way. There's never just like, hey, we're okay with losing a game. No, never. Nothing's really changed.

Q. You've been successful for so long, and Wainwright, St. Louis, same thing. Giants have some guys in their mid-30s, Posey and Crawford. Is there maybe a key to longevity in this game because not many people have figured that out or been able to do it?

MAX SCHERZER: I think it's on an individual basis. Certain things work for certain guys and you got to, as you continue to age and get past the age of 30 and you get a little bit older and things hurt a little bit more, you got to know how to be able to take care of yourself and be able to stay healthy and be able to address things in the offseason.

So for me, I can only speak for myself of how I've aged throughout my career, different things I've had to, different injuries I've had to deal with over the years and be able to address them and still find a way to still make all my starts. I pride myself in being durable and going out there every single time no matter, if I'm a little dinged up, I can still take the ball and find a way to just to go out there and continue to compete.

So it takes a tremendous amount of work in the off-season to make sure that your body's in tiptop shape to be able to handle anything that's asked of it during the season.