New York Mets powerhouse Max Scherzer was kicked out of Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles for using a sticky substance.
In the third round of this duel, the officials carried out a check and found the prohibited product on the 38-year-old veteran’s glove. This is a direct 10-game ban, but the player has the right to appeal.
Check out the footage in the main video.
Scherzer vigorously let the umpires know he disagreed, and a verbal altercation ensued. The veteran argued it was resin, which is legal, but the officer apparently ruled it had been mixed with another substance, which was illegal.
In a press conference after the meeting, Scherzer stated that he washed his hands with alcohol between the third and fourth innings in front of Major League Baseball officials. According to him, sweat mixed with the resin he used to better hold the ball.
“[L’arbitre Phil Cuzzi] said my hand was too sticky and I said “I swear on my kids lives I don’t use anything anymore. It’s sweat and resin. Sweat and resin”. I repeated it several times and they touched my hand and said it was sticky. They kicked me out for that,” said the three-time Cy-Young Trophy winner.
For his part, chief of staff Dan Bellino told Newsday that it was “the stickiest hand he’s ever seen inspecting hands, which has been three years.”
Before being shown the exit door, the right-hander had allowed no runs, allowed just one hit and allowed two free passes in three innings of work. He had also overtaken three opponents in the glove.
Scherzer’s departure didn’t stop the Mets from a 5-3 win.
The five shooters, used by manager Buck Showalter, were relieved after their teammate was expelled and gave their rivals just four shots in a safe spot. It was Jimmy Yacabonis (2-0) who added the win to his record.
At bat, Brandon Nimmo put the Mets ahead for good by hitting his first homer of the season. He kicked the ball out on the other side of the fence in the fifth inning while teammate Francisco Alvarez was already on the trails.