Dodgers: Max Scherzer Talks About Clayton Kershaw Defending Him Against Phillies Manager

Freshly minted Dodger Max Scherzer will be starting his first game for his new club on Wednesday against the Astros. Although Scherzer hasn’t played a game, he already has the respect of his teammates. Especially from Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw ardently defended Scherzer earlier this season after Phillies manager Joe Girardi repeatedly asked umpires to check Scherzer for foreign substances in a Phillies-Nationals game. On the very first day umpires began checking players for foreign substances.

Kershaw Backs Up Scherzer

In his quote, Kershaw called Scherzer “one of the best pitchers of our generation” and added, “ you better find something if you’re going to call him out like that”.

During an interview with AM 570’s David Vassegh this week. Scherzer acknowledged that he appreciated Kershaw’s admiration in that moment.

“That’s respect from veterans across the game. For me, it’s more a sign of respect for how I play the game. What I can do. That I’ve earned his respect to speak up in the that situation. He’ll say it for me as well. As veterans, we understand how this game should be played.”

Scherzer on Kershaw’s ‘Amazing’ Career

Mad Max also praised Kershaw during the interview for his relentless approach and preparation.

“What he’s done in his career, is amazing. For what he’s done, you got to study him. For me, I’ve had to study him and watch how he goes about his business and figure out what makes him great.”

Final Thoughts

Scherzer and Kershaw collective pitching accolades are staggering. In total: 6 Cy Youngs, 16 All-Star Appearances, 5 ERA titles, an MVP, 5,306 strikeouts, and 367 regular season wins.

Two pitchers of this caliber are rarely on the same team. It might not happen again for a long, long time.

The best part of the Scherzer-Kershaw duo isn’t any statistic though. It’s the fact that there’s great respect between the two already.

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