Kurkjian: ‘One of the wildest 9th-inning finishes I’ve ever seen’ (1:10)Tim Kurkjian joins “SportsCenter” to react to the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto to force a Game 7 in the World Series. (1:10)
How could the Blue Jays set up their pitching in Game 7?
How could the Dodgers set up their pitching in Game 7?
What should we expect to see from Ohtani in Game 7?
The Blue Jays’ hitters were uncharacteristically quiet in Game 6. How can they get back on track?
Who are the X factors on each side that could decide Game 7?
Finally, prediction time: Who will be the last team standing?
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 in again later for pregame lineups, live analysis during the game and our takeaways following the final pitch.
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.
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.
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.
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
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: 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.
Rogers: Toronto will win 4-2 with Max Scherzer pitching his way into the history books while Guerrero will be the easy MVP pick.
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 Yamamoto, but he’s not starting this game.
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.
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?
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.
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 into the game, and Bassitt is the guy likely asked to chew up two or three innings in the middle section. — Schoenfield
Kurkjian: ‘One of the wildest 9th-inning finishes I’ve ever seen’ (1:10)Tim Kurkjian joins “SportsCenter” to react to the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto to force a Game 7 in the World Series. (1:10)
Tim Kurkjian joins “SportsCenter” to react to the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto to force a Game 7 in the World Series. (1:10)