Mizzou Baseball in the Majors: Max Dominates the Missouri Way

■ Max Scherzer dominant (mlive.com)

It was over quickly for the Blue Jays -- with the game lasting just 2:26.

Scherzer said his quick pace came from a pitching tip while playing at the University of Missouri.

"I was told to never turn my back to the hitter," he said. "If you do that, you are pitching quick and always pumping strikes."

■ Scherzer bears down on Jays for victory (mlb.com)

When you're working with half your arsenal, you're going to be half the pitcher.

According to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, that's exactly what starting pitcher Max Scherzer was coping with earlier this season. He was showing up to duel without his pistol fully loaded.

Thankfully for both Scherzer and the Tigers, the right-hander has since curbed this trend, and after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo at the end of May, he has shown complete dominance over his fastball, changeup and slider. To boot, he's mastered pitching inside with conviction.
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Since June 15, Scherzer has posted a 1.85 ERA with an 8-3 mark -- an improvement Leyland doesn't need stats to see.

"I think he has an air about him now," Leyland said. "I think it was a little bit strange for him coming over from a different league. I think he wasn't sure what to expect. I think he figured something out.

"The key for Scherzer has been -- he's pitching with three pitches now. He was pitching with 1 1/2 pitches early in the season ... he's pitching with three pitches now. He's also got the ability to have a little extra in the tank when he needs it."

■ Max Scherzer, Jhonny Peralta lead Tigers past Blue Jays (Detroit Free Press)

“You can see him on the mound, he has a mound presence that is saying ’Hey, I’m doing pretty good and I feel pretty good about myself,’” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “You’d be a fool if you can’t see that.”

■ Max Scherzer, Tigers beat up on Blue Jays (Detroit News)

A right-hander whose muscle and mastery appear to be gaining by the week all but wrapped the Jays lineup in barbed wire as he ran his record to 10-9 with a powerhouse performance.

"He's really tough," said Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers shortstop who drove in four runs with a three-run homer and a bases-loaded walk. "I can see from shortstop that he's really tough. Fastball. Slider. Change-up.

"Really good."

Scherzer lasted eight innings and 117 pitches, firing fastballs up to 97 mph that bedeviled the Jays in concert with a slider and change-up that, as Peralta attested, were Grade A. It was a lethal brew that helped him pump his record to 10-9 and drop his ERA to 3.60. His last three starts: All victories with an ERA of 0.86.