New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer had a roller coaster of a Wednesday afternoon.
Getting the nod against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Scherzer was off to an on-brand start. The 38-year-old was three innings down, having allowed no runs off just one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. But after Scherzer left the Mets’ dugout to retake the mound in the fourth inning, umpire Phil Cuzzi conducted a usual illegal substance search, aimed to prevent pitchers from using “sticky stuff” to get a better grip on the ball.
Well, long story short, Cuzzi and the rest of the umpiring crew tossed Scherzer after already having made the eight-time All-Star switch gloves, triggering an expectedly heated response. And afterward, Scherzer stuck by his innocence.
“(I) knew I was gonna get checked in the fourth, so I would have to be an absolute idiot to try to do anything when I’m coming back out for the fourth,” Scherzer told reporters, per New York Post video. “After that third inning, I’m in front of the MLB official that’s underneath here. … I said, ‘I swear on my kids’ life, I’m not using anything else. This is sweat and rosin, sweat and rosin.’ I keep saying it over and over.”
As a result of Scherzer’s ejection, the right-hander became eligible for a 10-game suspension, per Major League Baseball rule.
“I don’t wanna comment (about) what happens next,” Scherzer said. “If I get suspended or not, we’ll see what happens.”
Meanwhile, while unable to identify the substance itself, Cuzzi adamantly stood by the move to toss Scherzer.
“All we know that it was far stickier than anything we felt, certainly today and anything this year,” Cuzzi said, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.
New York defeated Los Angeles, 5-3.
