Blue Jays' Max Scherzer refuses to leave mound in heated exchange with manager in Game 4 win

Max Scherzer spoke with Big Papi, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter after the Toronto Blue Jays' win in Game 4 against the Seattle Mariners.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer was not going to leave the game.

Scherzer, 41, let manager John Schneider have it when his skipper approached the mound to take him out of the game during the fifth inning of the team’s 8-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the ALCS Thursday night at T-Mobile Park. 

Scherzer, nicknamed "Mad Max" for his intensity during his starts, made his first start of the postseason on Thursday after being left off the ALDS roster with neck pain. Schneider got a firsthand taste of why Scherzer is nicknamed "Mad Max" during his mound visit. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, left, shares some words with Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider during a visit to the mound in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle Oct. 16, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

"I thought he was going to kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out," Schneider said with a smile. "He has this Mad Max persona, but he backed it up tonight."

The three-time Cy Young winner said he wanted the ball in that moment. Scherzer said he was busy thinking about the sequence of pitches he wanted to throw to Randy Arozarena. 

"And all of a sudden, I see Schneids coming out, and it kind of caught me off guard," Scherzer explained. "That’s just one of those moments where I know I wanted the ball. I knew the situation of the game. I wanted the ball, and I basically told him that in a little bit different