Max Scherzer: pitch clock will allow pitchers to dictate the pace of games.

[Auggie]

Scherzer tested the boundaries of baseball’s novel pace-of-play rules during his second spring training start, trying several unusual tactics to get Washington Nationals hitters off their game Friday. At one point, he started throwing a pitch to Victor Robles the moment plate umpire Jeremy Riggs reset the clock, and Riggs called him for a balk.

SNIP

With two on and two strikes against the Riley Adams in the third inning, Scherzer froze in the set position and let the pitch clock tick down to seven before Adams called timeout.

On the next pitch, Scherzer became set as the 20-second clock started. Adams finally stepped into the box with the clock at 11 seconds, and Scherzer immediately delivered, getting a swinging strike on a 96 mph fastball.

“You can tell they were expecting me to work quick today, and you can make that work to your advantage by speeding up and slowing down the game,” Scherzer said.

https://apnews.com/article/max-scherzer-pitch-clock-mets-7270c957ab32faf804839f501982a6bd

Worth watching to see how this is implemented around the league. If this gives pitchers a greater advantage, could it help neutralize Rob Manfred's juvenile focus on increasing run production?