Despondent over Game 5 loss, Scherzer understands Baker's decision

Max Scherzer appeared to be cruising along as he pitched six scoreless innings in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

The Nationals were holding a 1-0 lead heading to the top of the seventh. Then everything changed.

Joc Pederson got ahold of a 95 mph Scherzer fastball and deposited it over the left-center wall to tie the game at 1-1.

Pederson was the final batter Scherzer would face. The Dodgers scored three more runs for a four-run seventh inning. It was enough to lift them to a 4-3 victory and into the National League Championship Series against the Cubs..

Despite giving up just one run and allowing only five hits, was Scherzer surprised that manager Dusty Baker decided to take him out of the game after just one pitch in the seventh?

"No, I understood what his decision (was), and told him I'm good to go, but I understand if you need to take me out for matchup for lefties because our left-handed guys at that point," Scherzer said. "If he felt it was a better matchup with our lefty relievers going at their guys, that's probably the right move. That's just the way it goes."

Baker said he did not consider taking Scherzer out before the seventh started, even though the veteran had thrown 98 pitches.

"No, I didn't think about pulling him then. I mean, we've never seen (Pederson) hit the ball out in left field since we've played him," Baker said.

"You know, a couple years ago when they took (Jordan) Zimmermann out of the game, and everybody was crying about that, why they took him out of that game. And if I had taken (Scherzer) out - I mean, Max said he was still good. We were hoping to get another inning out of him.

"No, it's easy to say after the fact. If somebody had told me and Max that the guy was going to hit an opposite-field home run, we'd have taken him out then. But how do you take out your A guy in a 1-0 game. And Max is capable of going 100-some-odd pitches."

Baker hesitated because Scherzer was rolling. The right-hander did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. Then the Dodgers put together three hits in that inning. L.A. didn't score that in that inning either because Scherzer struck out two batters to help him get out of a bases-loaded situation.

Scherzer said one reason he had good things going was his off-speed pitch was clicking.

"I had a really good changeup tonight," Scherzer said. "I had a really good feel for it, locating the fastball on both sides of the plate, really working with Loby (catcher Jose Lobaton).

"Really, I gave as good an effort as I've ever given in my life to put everything I got on every single pitch. And the pitch I got beat on, I hit my spot. He put a better swing on it. I executed my pitch. He just made a great swing on it."

But even with a quality start from Scherzer it wasn't enough. The finality of a series loss took its toll on the veteran after the game was over.

"The effort everybody gave tonight was unreal," Scherzer said quietly at his locker. "Up and down, everybody gave their best, (but) they executed just a little bit better than us. That's probably one of the craziest, if not the craziest game I've ever been a part of in my career, in my life. Man, this is a tough one to be on the wrong side of."