MLB's strict pitch clock enforcement is 'frustrating' Max Scherzer - ESPN

NEW YORK — Mets pitcher Max Scherzer is not happy with the strict enforcement of the pitch clock.

Before the fifth inning of Tuesday's 4-2 victory by the Mets over the Phillies at Citi Field, Scherzer got into an intense conversation with home plate umpire Tripp Gibson over enforcement of the pitch clock. Between innings, MLB rules state there is two minutes between half-innings for local broadcasts, with pitchers allowed eight warm-up pitches. But with Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez making the last out of the bottom of the fourth, delaying his arrival behind home plate after needing time to put on catching gear, Scherzer could not finish his eight warm-up pitches before Gibson signaled for the start of the inning, prompting a discussion between pitcher and umpire.

«Why can't the umpires have discretion in that situation to allow eight normal warm-up pitches?» Scherzer said. «Why do we have to be so anal about this to have the clock shoved in everybody's face and try to step out every little second that's going into the game?»

According to Scherzer, when he asked Gibson about why he could not finish his warm-up pitches, the umpire said the league would «get mad at him» if he did not strictly enforce the clock. While MLB previously implemented a clock to measure break times between innings in 2015, they were not strictly enforced, giving umpires leeway to allow pitchers to throw an extra warm-up even if the time on the clock expired.

That has changed in 2023, according to Scherzer.

«It's situations like this that really are frustrating not only for pitchers, players, but even umpires,» Scherzer said. «That's what Trip says. Trip is handcuffed. Why is Trip handcuffed to not allow something normal, a normal routine. Why