PHOENIX — Max Scherzer takes the ball for the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night. And he's been here before.
Three times before, in fact.
Scherzer has pitched three times in the World Series, including twice in 2019, when he won a championship with the Washington Nationals.
His fourth Fall Classic start will come against his first team: The Arizona Diamondbacks.
But Scherzer never had any postseason moments with Arizona. He was traded to Detroit early in his career, and that's where he pitched his first World Series game, in 2012, ironically against Bruce Bochy's San Francisco Giants.
Here's how each of Scherzer's three World Series starts have unfolded:
2012 World Series Game 4 vs. Giants
On Oct. 28, 2012, Scherzer took the mound for the Detroit Tigers, who were facing a 3-0 series deficit against the San Francisco Giants. And Scherzer gave Detroit a chance, carrying a 2-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning.
A single from Marco Scutaro, and then a homer from Buster Posey put the Giants up 3-2. After the Tigers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, Scherzer returned for the seventh.
He allowed a single, but then got a groundout from Ryan Theriot. Scherzer exited the game, but Detroit held the Giants scoreless in the inning.
The game ultimately went to extra innings, where Scutaro singled home Theriot to give the Giants a 4-3 advantage. San Francisco's closer, Sergio Romo, held the Tigers scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure the win and the World Series.
Scherzer's final line was 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, and striking out eight batters. He threw 90 pitches.
2019 World Series Game 1 vs. Astros
Scherzer got the Game 1 start in the 2019 World Series against the Houston Astros, on the road. He fell behind early, in the first inning, giving up a two-run double to Yuli Gurriel. But Washington clawed back with solo homers from Ryan Zimmerman and Juan Soto.
The Nationals then scored three runs in the fifth, giving Scherzer the lead. He retired the Astros in order in the bottom of the inning. The early trouble ran up Scherzer's pitch count soon, so by the time he got through five innings, he was at 112 pitches.
Scherzer's final line was 5 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks, and striking out seven batters. The Nationals ultimately won 5-4.
2019 World Series Game 7 vs. Astros
Scherzer's Game 7 start against the Astros in this year's American League Championship Game wasn't his first Game 7 start in Houston. That came in the 2019 World Series, as the Nationals and Astros entered the game tied 3-3 in the series. Scherzer delivered a similar outing to what he had in Game 1 of the series: 5 innings pitched, giving up two runs on seven hits and four walks.
Except this time around, he exited with Houston leading 2-0.
Homers from Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick gave Washington a 3-2 lead in the seventh, and they added three more to win the World Series 6-2.
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