Max Scherzer is ready

The quote every Dodgers fan is gripping to their heart right now as a hard little talisman? “He’s going to be a psychopath either way,” said Trea Turner of Max Scherzer getting ready for the Wild Card Game. But yes, Scherzer is our psychopath, and for that we are grateful. Grateful we’ve quickly gotten to know his start day rituals, his rules on not being touched during the game, and we hope — his intensity.

Juan Toribo has more on Max Scherzer’s “winning mentality” at MLB.com.

Dodgers Links

• Former Dodgers employee Polo Ascencio will be calling the play-by-play in Spanish for the wild-card game on the St. Louis Cardinals side, a dream come true for the long-time Dodgers fan
• Dodgers fan Makenna Martin was interviewed by Houston Mitchell about this year’s #bracketszn (bracket season for a cause) in the latest edition of the LA Times Dodgers Dugout (and you can still register/donate through Oct 7!)
• Will the Dodgers face a familiar foe in the World Series? Possibly…Daniel Palma at Sports Illustrated thinks that it could be the Astros
• If you need a good cry for whatever reason on this Wednesday morning (excitement, nerves, middle of the week, etc.) Jorge Castillo has you covered at the LA Times: Longtime teammates Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen headed for uncertain future
• Adam Kilgore at The Washington Post on the wild card format: It’s unfair the Dodgers have to play one game for their season after 106 wins. Isn’t it great?
• Scott Miller at the NY Times has a very nice profile on Albert Pujols
• Bill Shaikin at the LA Times on Corey Seager’s next moves
• And nice news for MiLB Dodgers on being named players of the month for September. The Dodgers organization leads with four players being named this month:

Tulsa Drillers second baseman Devin Mann batted .323 and led the league in home runs (eight), total bases (49) and slugging percentage (.790). He was second in RBI (17) and third in OPS (1.176). Mann, 24, was selected by Los Angeles (NL) in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville.

Oklahoma City Dodgers right-hander Aaron Wilkerson went 2-0 and did not allow an earned run over 21.0 innings (five appearances, three starts). He scattered 12 hits and struck out 25 while walking one and holding opponents to a .169 average. Wilkerson, 32, was originally signed by Boston as a free agent on July 8, 2014, out of Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Jose Ramos batted .356 and led the league in RBI (19), while finishing second in slugging percentage (.678) and OPS (1.102) and third in hits (21) and home runs (four). Ramos, 20, was signed by Los Angeles (NL) as an International Free Agent out of Chepi, Panama, on July 3, 2018.

Left-hander Benony Robles went 1-0 in two starts without allowing an earned run. He scattered three hits and one walk over 9.0 innings, struck out 13 and held opponents to a .094 batting average. Robles, 21, was signed by Los Angeles (NL) as an International Free Agent out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, on July 3, 2017.