Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is not one to normally deal with the hypothetical.
But he did allow himself to ponder the fact he could start a clinching Game 5 on Sunday night at Nationals Park against the Houston Astros.
“Yeah, you’re human,” Scherzer told reporters before Game 4 on Saturday.
But Scherzer tries not to think about what is possible — just what he can control.
“Because I played enough baseball in this game and anything can happen,” he said. “So at this point in time you literally just live and breathe each and every day. At this point in time, it’s just one day at a time. That’s a cliche, but man, is that so true for us.”
The Nationals held a 2-1 series lead into Saturday after the Astros won 4-1 on Friday. Game 5 will be 8:07 p.m. Sunday, with Scherzer pitching opposite Gerrit Cole. If needed, the series then would return to Houston on Tuesday.
Scherzer tries to set the right example for the Nationals even on days he does not pitch.
“I think it’s just having fun and setting the tone that you’re accountable for everything you do in between your starts as well,” he said. “In order to pitch as well as you can, it takes the other four days to be able to do that.”
Scherzer was on the injured list twice this summer and made just 27 starts — his lowest since 2008.
He earned the win in Game 1 of the World Series, giving up five hits and two earned runs over five innings with seven strikeouts.
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