Ohtani vs. Scherzer, the starters in decisive Game 7
Veteran Max Scherzer, for the Blue Jays, and phenomenon Shohei Ohtani, for the Dodgers, will be the starters for Game 7 of the World Series.
TORONTO — A long season that began in Japan with Los Angeles Dodgers sweeping a two-match miniseries at Chicago Cubs will conclude in Canada with the Dodgers facing the Toronto Blue Jays in it seventh game of the world series.
On Saturday, at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Game 7 number 45 in the history of the fall classic and the first since 2019 will be held. The visiting teams have four consecutive wins in the decisive clash. The Dodgers have an all-time record of 11-6 (.647) in postseason games 7, while the Blue Jays have won three of their four appearances.
This is the seventh game number 41 with final character in the grand final of Major League Baseball (MLB). The World Series had a best-of-nine format in its first edition in 1903 and again from 1919 to 1921, and on all four occasions it went to Game 7. It never went to Game 9, meaning that every decisive game in World Series history has been a Game 7.
The veteran Max Scherzerwho allowed three runs and five hits (including two home runs) in the third game of the series, will start for Toronto. The Dodgers confirmed the Japanese phenomenon Shohei Ohtani as his Saturday starter, presumably for a shortened outing.
He Dodgers manager Dave Robertsdid not confirm Ohtani to start after his team won 3-1 to tie the series, but the previous day had said that the great two-way player could be used in various roles, since a World Series title is at stake.
At 1:30 pm ET on Saturday afternoon, the Dodgers confirmed Ohtani as the Game 7 starter.
Scherzer, 41, will be the second-oldest pitcher to start a Game 7, behind Roger Clemens in the National League Championship Series from 2004 at 42 years and 78 days. Scherzer is 8-8 with a 3.82 ERA in 153 postseason innings and 1-0, 3.80 in five World Series starts.
Scherzer stopped the Seattle Mariners in two runs for five and two-thirds innings in the fourth game of the American League Championship Seriesin his other appearance of the current postseason, after he allowed 25 runs in 25.0 innings in his last six starts of the worst season of his career (5-5, 5.19 in 85 innings).
Ohtani, who returned to pitching this year after being limited to the designated hitter role in 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery, started for the Dodgers in Game 4 and allowed four runs in six innings.
He was involved in a pitching duel (2-1) until the beginning of the seventh inning, when he began to show signs of fatigue, something logical considering that he had participated in the previous 18-inning game, reaching base in his nine trips to the plate. He threw 93 pitches in his last outing.
Los Angeles has the option of using Ohtani as a reliever, but would then risk losing him as a hitter once he is taken off the mound. As a starter, even if it’s for a short-term outing, they have the advantage of keeping him as a designated hitter the rest of the way.
Roberts said that on Saturday he will have all his pitchers available on the roster, except the Japanese Yoshinobu Yamamotowho started and won Game 6 on Friday. For the Blue Jays, the same, only the star would be disabled Kevin Gausmanwho pitched six innings on Friday.
The Cooperstown Hall of Fame members Paul Molitor and Jack Morriswho were part of the Blue Jays’ championship teams, will jointly throw out the ceremonial pitch for the final game of the season.
A season that began on March 18 in Japan and will conclude on November 1 in Canada, the first time that the MLB tournament begins and ends outside the United States.
