“Last year, we took home the World Series title… I am confident that we are a fantastic club that can fight with any team in this league.”
And with the Texas Rangers attempting to defend their 2023 World Series title and stay competitive in the American League West, that mindset has intensified.
After helping the Rangers defeat the second-place Houston Astros two games to one on Sunday afternoon, Scherzer provided credence to his statement from last week to A.J. Pierzynski of Foul Territory that he had no intention of waiving his no-trade clause should the Rangers choose to sell before the July 30 trade deadline.
Following the Rangers’ 4-2 victory on Sunday, Scherzer declared, “We think we’re going to win. We won the World Series last year.” We’re a fantastic team, I know that. In this league, we can compete with anyone. Nothing has changed to make that different. Perhaps we haven’t played our best at times, and our record isn’t the best. Alright, no problem. That’s baseball. That is something that every team experiences. We can compete with anyone in this league, in my opinion, given the talent in this room. And we’re playing excellent baseball right now. Thus, that is all that is important.
The Rangers (46-50) trail the Astros by four games and Seattle by five games in the top spot.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning, manager Bruce Bochy pulled the three-time Cy Young winner, and Scherzer has faith in both his teammates and Bochy. To maintain the lead, Josh Sborz entered and retired the side. Before the game, Bochy and Scherzer talked about an early hook because the Rangers bullpen had plenty of arms available before the All-Star break, including starter Jon Gray. Scherzer wasn’t shocked, then, to be benched for Sborz.
“In that circumstance, I’m going to always want the ball. He laughed and replied, “If I don’t want the ball in that situation, I’m out of here. “Yet he made the wise decision. We realized that the bullpen was longer than necessary. It was the perfect moment for him to press the button. When we really needed it, Sborz came in and got three massive outs. Bravo for carrying out his duties. Simply put, I’m happy with the way I’m ramping up and executing my pitches. Every time I play, I get better and better. This is a solid team victory and a smart way to end the half.”
Since coming off the disabled list following off-season back surgery, Scherzer has made five starts and is 1-2 with a 2.96 ERA. Thus far, Scherzer says he’s “shooting par”.
“I’m throwing the ball well, so you just look to continue to add off that,” he stated. “Keep working your way up to midseason shape so you can handle heavy pitch counts over five days. I feel fantastic. Ultimately, all I want is for the team to triumph. Bochy, as you may know, is here to find the correct balance and lead the squad to victory. I want to win, therefore whatever occurs, I want to play my part as a team player. That is all that is important.
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