Max Scherzer talked to Detroit Tigers radio announcer Dan Dickerson before Monday's game against the Rangers at Texas — Scherzer's first public comments since the death of his brother Alex last week.
Alex Scherzer died Thursday in St. Louis at the age of 24. Max left the team for two days to be with his family, but he returned to pitch Saturday in Pittsburgh.
He allowed only three hits in six innings, but Andrew McCutchen's three-run homer tagged him with a 4-1 loss.
"It was tough, at times, to stay focused," Scherzer told Dickerson. "But in the back of my mind, I was thinking, 'I love life. I love competing. This is what I do.' "
Scherzer is scheduled to pitch again Thursday, three days before his brother's memorial service.
"This is what I love to do," he told Dickerson. "That is what allowed me to get through this.
"I know it put a lot of smiles on the faces of my friends and family in such a somber time."
