"I just will not make an excuse for anything" - New York Mets ace is not interested in offering excuses following first loss in nearly a year; club manager says "he is setting the tone for the rest of his teammates"

The New York Mets are on a tear this year. With a record of 20-10, Buck Showalter's team is a full six games ahead of the second-placed Atlanta Braves. Central to the Mets success is the performance of some players who cost the organization a lot of money. It is all part of New York financier owner Steven A. Cohen's willingness to reward skill and performance with large and lucrative contracts.

The story of the season has been all about one such highly-paid individual. Max Scherzer earned himself the designation of becoming the highest-paid MLB player in not only New York Mets history, but also in MLB history. The pitcher is getting paid $143 million over three years. His commitment to crafting his game is a key reason for his value.

Max Scherzer loses his first game as a member of the New York Mets, does not even try to make excuses, knows he will be better

Max Scherzer had a 7-0 record with an ERA of 1.98 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021. After signing such a big deal with the Mets in the offseason, fans and management in New York were undoubtedly expecting similar output from Scherzer.

So far in 2022, Scherzer has lived up to his mammoth expectations. Even following a poor showing in his final game, he still has a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 2.92. A three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer knows how to get the job done.

"BRYCE HARPER MOONSHOT OFF MAX SCHERZER" - @ Barstool Sports

On Sunday, May 8, Max Scherzer made his sixth start of the season. Since the Philadelphia Phillies are a distant fourth in the National League East, most observers expected an easy and clean win for Max Scherzer. Unfortunately, after six innings and 101 pitches, Scherzer surrended 10 hits and three earned runs, giving him his first loss of the season.

"Max Scherzer won't use back-to-back rainouts - or anything else - as an excuse: ""I just will not make an excuse for anything. My job is to go out there and compete and win under any circumstances, any conditions."" - @ SNY

In a frank media scrum following the game, Scherzer did not mince his words. Scherzer told New York Mets network SNY, "My job is to go out and compete and win, under any circumstances, any conditions." Something tells us Max Scherzer will adapt just fine.