Max Scherzer’s one loss away from elimination in a best-of-three wild-card series.

Over the winter, Mets made ace Max Scherzer the highest paid player, on an annual basis, in baseball history by giving him a three-year $130 million contract. He was the biggest signing in the second year of owner Steven A. Cohen’s overhaul of a franchise that had endured more than its fair share of headaches and losses over the years.
It worked — to an extent. Despite missing nine weeks of the regular season with injuries, Scherzer, 38, was stellar on the mound. And in the clubhouse, he helped change the Mets’ culture and became one of the key leaders that guided them to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Tabbed with the Game 1 assignment on Friday in the Mets’ best-of-three wild-card series against the San Diego Padres, Scherzer failed to deliver in his role. In fact, he produced the worst postseason start of his decorated 15-year career in the Mets’ 7-1 loss.
In his 27th career postseason appearance, Scherzer coughed up seven runs and four home runs.
And as he trudged off the mound in the fifth inning, Scherzer was showered with boos from the sellout crowd of 41,621 fans at Citi Field. In the span of a few innings, the vibe in Flushing went from deafeningly loud to eerily quiet as the Padres repeatedly rocketed balls into the stands.
“I’m disappointed,” Scherzer said. “Baseball can take you to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and this is one of the lowest of lows.”
The 101-win Mets are now on the verge of elimination. By losing their division, the National League East, to the Atlanta Braves in the closing days of the regular season, the Mets earned the top wild-card spot (of three) in the playoffs. And in this year’s new postseason format, that meant hosting the second wild-card team, the 89-win Padres.

NEWS SOURCE: James Wagner, www.nytimes.com