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Although, nah, that last part doesn鈥檛 ring a bell with the Hall of Fame-bound moundsman when it鈥檚 suggested that showing his back to the hitter at quick speed is akin to showing somebody the back of one鈥檚 hand. He stares at the questioner with his heterochromatic eyes: one brown, one blue.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what to say. I don鈥檛 know what the question was.鈥欌��

But the just-turned 41-year-old had plenty to say聽鈥� at near hypersonic speed, scarcely pausing to suck in breath聽鈥� after steering the Blue Jays to a tight 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in Saturday鈥檚 matinee at the Rogers Centre. Tossed six innings of one-run ball on five hits and zero walks with five Ks, while throwing a first-pitch strike to 16 of the 24 batters he faced. Second W as a Blue Jay and third quality start. Picking up where he left off with 鈥渓ooks like vintage Max鈥� starts in Detroit and against the Yankees. Though he doesn鈥檛 much like framing it that way, either.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to sit here and celebrate the last two starts and say: oh, I鈥檓 back. No, I鈥檝e been pitching this whole time. It鈥檚 about getting the ball into the right spot, executing your pitches and getting results. That鈥檚 the process that I work under. The process has been the same since Cleveland.鈥欌��

Cleveland, June 25: restored to the starting rotation after a one-start cameo, sidelined with a buggered thumb that impacted his arm that impacted his shoulder, etc., etc., etc.

鈥淛udge me from when I鈥檝e been pitching in Cleveland,鈥欌�� he adds.

Besides working at Mach speed, Scherzer is also adept at adapting to the situation lickety-split. Which is why he took catcher Ali S谩nchez down into the tunnel for a fervent confab before returning to the bump to start the fourth inning. That鈥檚 because Tyler Heineman, the battery mate with whom he鈥檇 prepared so intensely to face this strong-hitting Royals lineup, had just taken a foul tip off his catcher鈥檚 mask聽鈥� a mask reinforced with springs precisely to absorb that kind of a jolt for a guy who鈥檚 already suffered one concussion this season.

This occasion, according to manager John Schneider, caused a 鈥渉ead contusion鈥欌�櫬犫�� headache and painful jolt to the jaw聽鈥� but no concussion symptoms as of post-game. A lot of rattled brainpans around this team with Alejandro Kirk and George Springer also recovering from concussed noggins.

As someone fanatically attuned to his own inner rhythm and quite particular about his catcher, Scherzer had to get S谩nchez with the program quickstep.

鈥淵eah, it definitely throws you for a curveball when that happens. Unfortunately Heiney took one off the mask. I haven鈥檛 worked with Ali at all, and just trying instantly to get on the same page: This is what we鈥檝e been doing, this is what we鈥檙e trying to do, work with that.

鈥淎li did great,鈥欌�� Scherzer continued. 鈥淗e came in, called a great game, had good targets, navigated the order and did great for the relievers as well.鈥欌��

Relievers who came in one called strikeout after Scherzer gave up a solo run home run to Salvador P茅rez, taking the ball in the seventh. Scherzer had thrown 84 pitches, but his hand felt fatigued. Not a sore thumb, a tired hand.

鈥淭his is never going to go away,鈥欌�� he conceded about the annoying thumb, even though this day wasn鈥檛 about the thumb. 鈥淭his is something I have to manage and I鈥檓 managing it.鈥欌��

His finest piece of managing on this afternoon was a big strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. with a runner on third and less than two out, before inducing a line-out from Vinnie Pasquantino. Ask and he鈥檒l do colour commentary of that frame: 鈥淚 was able to get to an 0-2 count on Bobby and then execute a slider out of the zone. Then with Vinnie, I was able to get a fastball up, foul ball, went wide with a changeup. I didn鈥檛 like that pitch, but then came back and executed a good curveball.鈥欌��

Certainly outpitched the hotshot rookie starter for K.C., Noah Cameron. Some day Cameron will pull this game out of his memory bank and fondly recall that time he went mano-a-mano with a future Cooperstown legend and three-time Cy Young Award winner. Just not quite yet.

After getting hammered in four of their last six games (and losing five) the Jays settled back into a groove more typical of a first-place team, even if non-jacking onto the scoreboard. But this was primarily an encounter that featured slick pitching from start to 鈥檖en, most notably a pop-pop-pop setup inning from newly acquired Seranthony Dominguez. That鈥檚 three straight appearances as a Jay for the flashy Dominican without giving up a hit.

He arrived from the Orioles on the eve of the trade deadline. 鈥淚鈥檇 been thinking about being traded, but trying not to think about being traded.鈥欌��

And now rather delighted about being traded.

鈥淚 really like the talent on this team and the way that they play. They play hard and they play to win. Everybody鈥檚 on the same page.鈥欌��