The first day of MLB postseason action heralded a surprising development: the struggles of Mets co-ace Max Scherzer.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner was clobbered by the Padres on Friday night, allowing four home runs and seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Even Scherzer's Mets teammates conceded it was a stunning turn of events, with center fielder Brandon Nimmo admitting, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't surprising."
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Of course, Scherzer has long been one of the game's best starting pitchers, so it's no surprise that his flop under the bright lights of the postseason turned heads.
Mets fans on hand at Citi Field even rained boos down on Scherzer, a scene that one reporter called "jarring."
It was unclear if Scherzer just had a bad day at the office, or whether he was perhaps dealing with some kind of physical ailment, though he maintained both before and after the game that he felt fine.
In fact, the clunker against the Padres marked a continuation of Scherzer's last regular-season start, against the Braves in Atlanta, in which he coughed up three gopher balls.
In any event, the dud was a trending topic on Friday night and into Saturday morning on social media, where users were quick to register their disbelief and, in some cases, their criticism of the veteran ace often called "Mad Max" for his famous intensity.
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