Max Scherzer threw six perfect innings in Monday's series opener between Mets and Milwaukee Brewers, a 7-2 New York win, his first game back from a left-side injury on the 15-day IL.
The victory, which clinched the Mets' first postseason berth since 2016, was also the 200th of Scherzer's 15-year MLB career.
"It's an awesome milestone, but it'll probably mean more in the offseason," Scherzer said. "Right now, I'm still locked in with this team. I'm kind of happy I did it today -- we can actually celebrate what we do as a team more than any milestone I come up with. So it's awesome to hit -- don't get me wrong -- but today's about the team."
He threw 68 pitches (47 strikes), struck out nine and retired all 18 batters before Tylor Megill relieved him in the seventh inning.
"Felt good, physically," Scherzer said. "Knew we were gunning for kind of a 75-pitch count -- five innings, 75, that's kind of what we were looking for. I was able to get through five innings at 54 pitches and I was talking to (pitching coach Jeremy) Hef(ner) and (manager) Buck (Showalter), like, 'Hey, we need to press the pitch count. You've got to let me go back out. I think it's important to continue to get more pitches underneath my belt.' The scoreboard was what it was, so it allowed me to go back out there and pitch and was able to pitch through it. Felt normal fatigue. I felt like my side was fatiguing at the same rate as my arm, so that's the good news in that. So that was the kind of the decision making we were making."
Scherzer (10-4) lowered his ERA to 2.15.
In 21 starts this season, he has gone 133.2 IP with 162 strikeouts to 23 walks.
Scherzer made his first start since Sept. 3, a five-inning outing in which he allowed one run on three hits while striking out five and walking one.
"It wasn't (tough to come out of the game after retiring 18 straight) because I knew where I'm at in this rehab process of getting back up there," Scherzer said. "Wasn't going to have a chance to go and complete it. You've just got to take your victories when you can get 'em. For me, that was throwing six innings tonight, getting to 68 pitches and executing with all of my pitches -- that's what the win is about tonight."
Scherzer is next in line to start this coming weekend's series finale against the Oakland A's, a 4:07 p.m. game.