Game. Seven.
On Saturday night, a World Series champion will be crowned. Will it be a Los Angeles Dodgers repeat, making them the first team to go back-to-back since the 2000 New York Yankees? Or will it be the Toronto Blue Jays’ first title in 32 years?
Before the Dodgers and Blue Jays take the field for a winner-take-all finale to a thrilling World Series, we asked our MLB experts to break down what will decide which will be the last team standing.
We’ll cover all the action here, so tune back later for pregame lineups, live analysis during the game and our takeaways following the final pitch.
How could the Blue Jays set up their pitching in Game 7?
The first rule of Game 7, as manager John Schneider said immediately after Game 6, is that everyone is available. He said even Kevin Gausman, who just threw 93 pitches in Game 6, will be available. No, it wouldn’t be unprecedented for him to pitch: Randy Johnson started Game 6 in 2001 for the Diamondbacks and then got the final four outs to win Game 7.
Max Scherzer is the Game 7 starter, but the Blue Jays’ bullpen is in great shape to soak up a lot of innings. Closer Jeff Hoffman didn’t pitch in Game 6, so he’s on two days of rest and could go a couple of innings. Schneider did use his four other top relievers in Game 6 (Louis Varland, lefty Mason Fluharty, Seranthony Dominguez and Chris Bassitt), but none threw more than 17 pitches, so they’re available as necessary, with Fluharty likely to be tasked at some point to get through the Shohei Ohtani-Will Smith-Freddie Freeman part of the lineup.
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Bassitt didn’t pitch in the postseason until the ALCS but has now reeled off 7⅔ scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Schneider has to consider him a multi-inning option. Game 4 starter Shane Bieber will be an option pitching on three days of rest after throwing 81 pitches.
Indeed, it all points to a very quick hook for Scherzer. Though he has survived his two postseason starts — two runs in 5⅔ innings against the Mariners and then three runs in 4⅓ innings against the Dodgers — he has allowed five walks and the three homers in those 10 innings, so he has hardly dominated. Remember, he was terrible in September (10.20 ERA), and his two postseason starts have come on 21 and 10 days of rest. Now, he’ll be starting on four days of rest. With Bassitt and Bieber available, the Jays might ask for only three innings from Scherzer and will likely be willing to get him out before trouble hits. — David Schoenfield
How could the Dodgers set up their pitching in Game 7?
The Dodgers plan to open with Shohei Ohtani, and that makes sense for many reasons. For one, Tyler Glasnow, who was previously lined up to start Game 7, was used out of the bullpen to close Game 6. More importantly, though, starting is the smoothest path to getting Ohtani on the mound.
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Because of the two-way rule, coming in as a reliever would mean Ohtani would have to play a position — in this case, the outfield, where he hasn’t played all season — to bat again after coming out as a reliever. That’s not the case if he opens. Ohtani could close, as he did to finish the 2023 World Baseball Classic for his native Japan, but that would present other logistical challenges. When does he warm up? And how would that be impacted by him preparing to take his turn to bat? Or if he’s preoccupied running the bases?
So, expect Ohtani to start — and stay on the mound for however long he is effective and throwing his best stuff. Glasnow should be available to pitch bulk innings after him. He has never thrown in back-to-back games, but he also threw just three pitches in Game 6. After that? Roki Sasaki will be available, though he threw 33 pitches Friday night. So might Blake Snell, who started Game 5. Ideally, the Dodgers won’t have to venture beyond that. — Alden Gonzalez
What should we expect to see from Ohtani in Game 7?
Ohtani made a start on three days’ rest once — April 21, 2023. But that was after throwing only two innings in the prior start. This time, he’ll take the mound on the biggest stage after a six-inning, 93-pitch start. So, there is no precedent from which to draw. But Ohtani loves the moment. He showed it two weeks ago, when he homered three times and threw six scoreless innings to clinch a pennant. And he showed it two years ago, when he emerged from the bullpen in Miami and struck out then-teammate Mike Trout to win Major League Baseball’s prestigious international tournament. Whatever the expectations might be, Ohtani will strive to exceed them. — Gonzalez
The Dodgers’ bats finally perked up in Game 6. What does L.A. need to do to keep that going?
The Dodgers need to be themselves. That sounds corny, and it is. But that’s part of what the Game 6 story was about. After all of their struggles on offense, the strikeouts piled up early against Kevin Gausman. But they kept working at-bats, driving up his pitch count, and put together the one rally they needed. It hasn’t been pretty, but it’s how the Dodgers are built. Mookie Betts finally checked in on offense and has to be feeling a lot better about things heading into Saturday. That’s huge. The Dodgers have scored six runs over the past three games, and the lineup is too loaded for that to continue. Of course, it doesn’t mean the funk will dissipate by Saturday. — Bradford Doolittle
The Blue Jays’ hitters were uncharacteristically quiet in Game 6. How can they get back on track?
Everyone has been uncharacteristically quiet against Yoshinobu Yamamoto this postseason, so it’s not like the Blue Jays need to change much after scoring just once in Game 6. They’re likely facing Ohtani on short rest, Glasnow on none, Sasaki on back-to-back nights or some combination of all of the above. Toronto has been in this situation as recently as the ALCS and isn’t likely to wilt at the plate for a second night in a row at home. Just like Brad said for the Dodgers, the message for the Jays going in should be to just be themselves. — Jesse Rogers
Who are the X factors on each side that could decide Game 7?
Game 7 has turned two players into Hall of Famers: Bill Mazeroski (1960) and Jack Morris (1991) probably wouldn’t be in without their World Series Game 7 performances. Hall of Famers such as Walter Johnson (1924), Yogi Berra (1956), Sandy Koufax (1965), Bob Gibson (1967) and Willie Stargell (1979) have starred in Game 7s. Unsung veterans such as Ray Knight (1986), Charlie Morton (2017) and Howie Kendrick (2019) have stepped up in the moment. Role players such as Gene Larkin (1991) and Craig Counsell (1997) have delivered late-inning heroics.
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In other words: Anything can happen. Anyone could be the hero. That’s the absolute beauty of this sport. The easiest answer here is the two stars: Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have the opportunity to put exclamation points on their wonderful postseasons. It very well could be that whoever has the better game will lead his team to victory.
If you want a less obscure X factor, let’s go with Will Smith for Los Angeles and Chris Bassitt for Toronto. The Blue Jays have at times shown their reluctance to pitch to Ohtani. If they’re giving multiple intentional walks again — although considering how that backfired in Game 6, Schneider might return to going after Ohtani like he did in Games 4 and 5 — that will give Smith opportunities to hit with a runner on base. For the Jays, it’s simply that Scherzer is unlikely to go very deep in the game, and Bassitt is the guy likely asked to chew up two or three innings in the middle section. — Schoenfield
Finally, prediction time: Who will be the last team standing?
Rogers: Toronto will win 4-2 with Max Scherzer pitching his way into the history books while Guerrero will be the easy MVP pick.
Doolittle: It’s the Dodgers’ baseball world, and the other 29 teams are just tenants. I don’t really believe that, but I do believe that the Blue Jays’ best chance to win was Friday. Now, they have to navigate a Dodgers lineup that is champing at the bit and a pitching staff that can roll out Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell in the same game. I’m taking L.A. and though I’d be shocked if it’s a runaway, I don’t see it being dramatic. Dodgers 7, Blue Jays 3.
Schoenfield: Blue Jays in seven was my pick heading into the World Series, so I’ll stick with that. Their pitching situation is in much better shape, and the Dodgers will be scrambling to fill all nine innings. And, really, it’s not as if the Dodgers’ bats broke out in a huge way in Game 6. The Jays haven’t touched Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he’s not starting this game.
