Mad Max starting ALCS Game 7 for Rangers at Houston, just as he did for Nats in 2019 World Series

HOUSTON (AP) — Max Scherzer is set to pitch another Game 7 in Houston with visiting teams undefeated in the series.

This time, Mad Max will be trying to win a pennant for the Texas Rangers.

Scherzer will start the deciding game of the AL Championship Series on Monday night. It comes four years after the three-time Cy Young Award winner started Game 7 of the World Series for Washington as the Nationals beat the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the only best-of-seven postseason series that went the distance without the home team winning a single game.

The Rangers, after losing all three of their ALCS games at home, forced Game 7 with a 9-2 win on Sunday night. Texas also won Games 1 and 2 in Houston.

Scherzer was the loser in Game 3 on Wednesday night, when he returned after missing just more than a month with a right shoulder strain. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed five runs and five hits while throwing 63 pitches over four innings, but finished strong by striking out the last two batters he faced with a runner on base.

Cristian Javier, the Game 3 winner when the defending World Series champion Astros won 8-5, will pitch again for Houston.

The 26-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 16 postseason games, winning all four of his starts. He has allowed only five hits and two runs over 22 innings in those four games, including two runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings earlier in this series.

These are the kind of big games the Rangers hoped for when they got Scherzer from the New York Mets in a trade-deadline deal this season.

Scherzer will be making his 24th postseason start for five different teams. His only Game 7 was in that 2019 World Series, when he allowed two runs over five innings without getting the decision in the Nationals’ 6-2 win. He won Game 1 in that Series, but got pushed back because of nerve irritation near his neck and pitched in the final game after getting a cortisone shot.

After Game 3 of this ALCS for the Rangers, Scherzer said his arm felt good, which was the most important thing. He said he felt he “had more in the tank,” but fully agreed with manager Bruce Bochy’s decision to pull him with Houston leading 5-0.

Scherzer’s postseason record is 7-8 with a 3.80 ERA, which also included appearances for Detroit, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. The only other pitcher to start playoff games for five teams was David Wells for Cincinnati, Baltimore, the Yankees, Boston and San Diego from 1989-2006.

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