Hyun-jin Ryu (36, Toronto Blue Jays) will finally get his first start against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (39, Texas Rangers).

The Blue Jays announced the starting pitchers for their four-game series at Rogers Centre against Texas on Wednesday (Nov. 11) in the club’s game notes. Accordingly, Hyun-jin Ryu will start the second game of the four-game series on the 13th.

Ryu will be looking for his fourth win of the season, as he is 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in seven games (34 innings) since returning from Tommy John surgery on March 2. The team is in desperate need of a win after failing to add a run in their last two games. A crucial four-game series for fall baseball rivals Texas and Toronto. Only 1.5 games separate second-place Toronto (80-63) and fourth-place Texas (78-64) in the American League (AL).

Three-time Cy Young winner and highest-paid player Scherzer…past his prime

Texas announced Scherzer as the starter for today’s game, setting up an eagerly anticipated matchup of two pitchers.

Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, first in the AL with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and then in the National League (NL) with the Washington Nationals in 2016 and 2017. He had a chance to face off against Ryu in the NL with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was with Washington, but they were separated by a day. In the 2019 Division Series, the two pitchers were expected to face off in Game 3, but the matchup was canceled after Scherzer made a surprise relief appearance in Game 2 and was bumped to Game 4.

Scherzer, who was born in 1984 but remained dominant with his fiery fastball into his mid-to-late 30s, signed a massive three-year, $130 million contract with the New York Mets in November 2021. His salary this year is $43.3 million, the highest in the league. His performance this season was down from last year, when he went 12-6 with a 3.91 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 26 games (147⅓ innings). Struggled with minor injuries to his shoulder, back, and neck.

Four-seam fastball velocity of 93.7 mph (150.8 km/h) and 2360 revolutions per minute were both lowest since his debut. He’s showing signs of an aging curve, but he’s holding on. He was traded to Texas in late July as the Mets moved away from fall ball. In seven games (39⅔ innings) with Texas, he is 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA, slightly better than he was with the Mets.

However, he has slowed down in his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA. In his last outing, a loss to the Houston Astros on July 7, he allowed seven runs on six hits (three homers) and two walks while striking out four in 3 1/3 innings. It was shaky for fewest innings and most runs allowed of the season.

Texas’ offense more taxing than Scherzer’s, Dodgers’ former teammate Seager a ‘Red Flag No. 1’

At the time of the Scherzer trade, Texas was in first place in the AL West and looking like a lock for fall ball. But since August, they’ve gone 18-18, a 5.5 percent winning percentage, and lost the top spot. They dropped to third place behind the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. With the fourth AL wild card on the line and no guarantee of fall baseball, every remaining game matters.

With cracks on the mound from injuries to key starters like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi and an overloaded bullpen, Texas still has plenty of offensive firepower. The team OPS has dropped from second in the first half (.801) to ninth in the second half (.755), but is still above league average.

Ryu’s No. 1 target is Corey Seager, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seager hit two home runs, including his 30th of the season, against the Oakland Athletics on Nov. 11. It was his second straight 30-homer season after hitting 33 last year. Becomes just the third player in franchise history to hit 30 homers in back-to-back years since joining Texas, joining Alex Rodriguez from 2001-2003 and Adrian Beltre from 2011-2013.

Rodriguez has missed time with hamstring and finger injuries, but is still hitting .333 (134-for-399) with 30 homers, 87 RBIs, a .398 on-base percentage, a .652 slugging percentage and a 1.050 OPS in 99 games this season. He ranks first in the AL in batting average, second in slugging-OPS, third in on-base percentage, and fifth in home runs. He is second only to Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) in batting average and OPS.

The two players met in a two-hitter at Rogers Centre on April 11 last year. Ryu went 0-for-2 with an infield single in the first inning and a grounder to first base in the third. It was a victory for Ryu, but he’s a one-hit wonder.온라인바카

The Rangers are without their team-leading home run hitter (34) Adolis Garcia due to a patella injury, but Texas has plenty of hitters to carry the load, including Seager. Second baseman Marcus Semien (.281, 24 homers, 87 RBIs, .827 OPS), first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (.279, 15 homers, 74 RBIs, .810 OPS), designated hitter Mitch Garber (.286, 16 homers, 42 RBIs, .928 OPS), and catcher Jonah Heim (.261, 15 homers, 77 RBIs, .756 OPS), all of whom played together in Toronto in 2021. Ryu has no time to worry about Scherzer.