All you need to know about why was Max Scherzer ejected from the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During most of the argument that took place between Max Scherzer, the home-plate umpire Dan Bellino, and crew chief Phil Cuzzi, Scherzer had his right palm out in front of him. Scherzer stepped before the umpires and pressed his case, insisting to them on multiple occasions that the only item he was using to hold the baseball was rosin. Buck Showalter, the manager of the Mets, stood next to Scherzer.
Then, Cuzzi removed Scherzer, placing the Mets in a pitching bind that, due to the impending possibility of a suspension, might linger well beyond their 5-3 victory over the Dodgers in the game that concluded the series.
The initial encounter between Scherzer and Bellino took place in the midst of the second inning and was intended to be a normal check for sticky substances, which has been a standard procedure in MLB since the year 2021. During that exchange, according to both sides, Cuzzi told Scherzer that the stickiness on his hand was too much, that he needed to wash it off, and that he would be checked once more before he returned to the mound for the third inning.
When Scherzer came back for the bottom of the fourth, Cuzzi once again stopped him, which prompted Scherzer to start animatedly arguing his point. Cuzzi eventually allowed Scherzer to continue. After approximately a minute, Cuzzi kicked him out of the game for improperly utilizing a foreign substance, which prompted additional arguments from Scherzer until Showalter led him away from the ruckus. Cuzzi’s ejection prompted additional appeals from Scherzer.
As per Jeff Passan: New York Mets starter Max Scherzer has been suspended 10 games for allegedly using a foreign substance Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After the incident, Scherzer said, “Cuzzi said my hand’s too sticky, I said, ‘I swear on my kids’ lives, I’m not using anything else. This is sweat and rosin, sweat and rosin.’ I keep saying it over and over, and they touch my hand, they say it’s sticky. Yes, it is, because it’s sweat and rosin. They say it’s too sticky. They threw me out because of that.”
Jimmy Yacabonis came in to relieve Scherzer after he was dismissed from the game. Due to the unexpected departure of Scherzer, he was given an unlimited amount of time to warm up. Scherzer had returned from a brief bout of back stiffness and pitched three innings during which he did not allow any runs. The Mets yelled their delight from the visitor’s bench after former teammate Noah Syndergaard allowed Brandon Nimmo to take the lead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning against Syndergaard.
In addition to the injured Justin Verlander and Edwin Diaz, the New York Mets will now be without another quality pitcher on their staff. The Mets are already without Edwin Diaz and Justin Verlander. The outcome of Scherzer’s appeal is going to be very interesting to see play out.
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