MLB's Sticky Situation: Max Scherzer Annoyed By Substance Checks, Pitchers Undress On The Field

Some pitchers have a problem with the way MLB is enforcing its ban on foreign substances, and they aren’t being shy about it.

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer didn’t hide his displeasure Tuesday night, causing a scene on the mound and getting into a heated exchange with Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi.

The umpires for the contest between the Nationals and Phillies checked Scherzer for sticky substances twice, following the league’s new policy of cracking down on the doctoring of baseballs. The three-time Cy Young winner appeared annoyed during both inspections, and he had enough when Girardi asked the umps to check him a third time.

A perplexed Scherzer tossed away his hat and glove and began to unbuckle his pants as the umpires approached the mound with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. When Scherzer walked off the field for the final time at the end of the fifth inning, he stared down Girardi, who subsequently left the dugout and attempted to confront the pitcher before being ejected from the game.

“These are [MLB commissioner Rob] Manfred rules,” Scherzer said after Washington’s 3-2 victory. “Go ask him. I’ve said enough.”

Scherzer picked up the win, surrendering one run and five baserunners while striking out eight batters in five innings. The veteran nearly hit a batter, which he attributed to not being able to get a good grip on the baseball.

Scherzer says he tried to use the sweat from his hair to get a better grip, which prompted Girardi to call for the umps to inspect him again.

“I’ve seen Max a long time, since 2010,” Girardi said. “Obviously, he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. I’ve never seen him wipe his head like he was doing tonight, ever. It was suspicious for me. He did it four or five times. It was suspicious. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I just got to do what’s right for my club.”

It wasn’t just Scherzer who tried to make a mockery of the umpires’ checks. In Tuesday’s game between the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers, reliever Sergio Romo briefly pulled down his pants as he was being inspected at the end of an inning.

“Hopefully, the players across the league understand that what we’re doing right now, this is not the answer,” Scherzer said. “I understand that there's a problem with Spider Tack and we’ve got to get that out of the game. But I also think there's a way to handle this that’s a better way.”