Max Scherzer turns back the clock in Blue Jays finale: ‘It felt like I was unlimited’ - Toronto Star

At 42, Scherzer left everything on the field Sunday at the Rogers Centre, tossing 114 pitches.

Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer has a friendly word with manager John Schneider before exiting Sunday’s season finale at the Rogers Centre.

If Sunday afternoon marked the final time Max Scherzer set foot on a Major League Baseball mound, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer went out in style.

The 42-year-old turned back the clock with a vintage performance in the Blue Jays’ season finale. He showcased the swing-and-miss stuff that made him a generational talent and in doing so nearly chased down a longtime rival on MLB’s all-time strikeout list.

Operating on just three days’ rest, Scherzer struck out seven across seven innings in the Jays’ 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at the Rogers Centre. The eight-time all-star left everything on the field by tossing 114 pitches, his highest total in more than six years.

“That was amazing,” Scherzer said. “The adrenalin started kicking in, the fans started getting (into it). That’s when I could start feeding off the crowd here and really just reach back. It felt like I was unlimited.”