MLB
Commercial
dwell
Up to date 19s in the past
The Blue Jays and Dodgers sq. off in Sport 6 of the World Collection tonight, with Toronto hoping to clinch its third World Collection title in franchise historical past and Los Angeles trying to power a Sport 7.
Observe beneath for information, updates and evaluation from The Athletic's crew of MLB reporters.
Don't overlook Dave Roberts, the winningest supervisor in baseball historical past.
Commercial
An hour earlier than Sport 6, questioning what number of future Corridor of Famers are on the rosters of those World Collection groups. Since 1969 (when divisions started), the report for a WS matchup is seven. This sequence might close to that:
The locks are Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Max Scherzer. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is definitely on monitor. Will Smith and George Springer are lengthy pictures whereas younger pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Trey Yesavage might put collectively Corridor of Fame careers, too, if issues break proper.
Much more updates with the sport one hour away:
Mookie Betts hitting cleanup: Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts shook up an order that has struggled for the higher a part of the previous 4 video games. Meaning bumping Mookie Betts to the cleanup spot, the bottom he has hit in an order since 2017. The Dodgers’ high 4 now go: Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Betts. Betts is 3-for-22 on this sequence. Ohtani has reached base 13 occasions however scored solely 5 runs, three of these runs approaching his own residence runs.
Tommy Edman in heart subject: Determined occasions name for determined measures. Edman has been taking part in with a sore ankle for months, and thus, the Dodgers haven’t began him in heart subject all postseason. That modifications tonight, with their 12 months on the road. Edman will get the beginning in heart subject, and Miguel Rojas will begin at second base for the primary time because the NL Wild Card Collection. Alex Name and Andy Pages — a mixed 2-for-22 within the World Collection — are each on the bench to begin Sport 6.
All eyes on Yoshinobu Yamamoto: With every part at stake, the Dodgers flip to a starter who had a 2.49 ERA within the common season and has twirled back-to-back full video games. We’ll see whether or not the Blue Jays have any reply for the power that’s Yamamoto. Within the occasion the Dodgers really want their bullpen this time round, Tyler Glasnow is anticipated to spend Sport 6 within the ’pen as a doable aid choice.
Sport 6 is one hour away. The Blue Jays have an opportunity to win all of it. The Dodgers are hoping to remain alive and power Sport 7. Right here’s the most recent as we close to first pitch.
George Springer is again: Springer left Sport 3 with an indirect damage and didn’t play in Video games 4 and 5. Tonight, although, he’s main off and beginning at DH. Springer has been taking part in by means of different aches and pains in current weeks, however he might nonetheless be a game-changing presence for the Blue Jays. The ALCS hero has 4 residence runs and an .884 OPS within the postseason.
Bo Bichette returns to the sphere: Battling a knee damage, Bichette performed second base within the first three video games of this sequence, although he didn’t play the whole lot of any of these video games. He spent Video games 4 and 5 at DH with Springer on the bench. Springer’s return now means Bichette’s return to the sphere. He’s batting cleanup after hitting third prior to now two video games.
Trivia! When Joe Carter linked on his championship-clinching homer to win the 1993 World Collection in Sport 6, which former Rookie of the Yr was on deck for the Blue Jays? And which two future Corridor of Famers have been on the bases?
How did we get right here? Video games 3-5 have been … loads.
Commercial
Shohei Ohtani has informed Japanese media that he can be ready to pitch in both Sport 6 or Sport 7. In principle, that will be as a reliever tonight or tomorrow, however Andy McCullough wrote that, if the Dodgers plan to make use of Ohtani, essentially the most wise approach to make use of him could be because the Sport 7 starter. Here’s Andy’s explanation:
The reasoning stems from the wording of Main League Baseball’s two-way participant guidelines, which grew to become often known as the “Ohtani Rule” after being tweaked in 2022. The rule states {that a} participant with a two-way roster designation, corresponding to Ohtani, can stay within the recreation as a chosen hitter after leaving the sport as a pitcher. However the rule doesn’t apply to a two-way participant getting into as a reliever. So, if Ohtani have been to return in aid in opposition to the Blue Jays in Sport 6 on Friday or Sport 7 on Saturday, the Dodgers would lose the designated hitter if he stopped pitching.
So, if the Dodgers don’t need Ohtani to begin, they’d positive need him to shut. However utilizing him as a better requires determining a approach for him to heat up (when he is perhaps about to hit). The best approach is to only have him begin — on quick relaxation — then herald Tyler Glasnow, leaving Ohtani within the lineup at DH.
After all, the Dodgers need to get to Sport 7 first.
The Blue Jays are, in some methods, proper on schedule. When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette debuted in 2019, their arrival was alleged to sign the rise of a homegrown core that will carry the franchise again to the World Collection. The Jays have, in truth, gotten to the World Collection and will win it tonight, however the touted homegrown core hasn’t been impactful past Guerrero, Bichette and Alejandro Kirk, and so they’ve as a substitute gotten contributions from less-touted guys like Addison Barger and Mason Fluharty (and the speedy rise of Trey Yesavage). We requested The Athletic’s Keith Regulation what precisely occurred within the Blue Jays’ system lately. Right here’s Keith:
They haven’t actually hit on a first-round choose since Marcus Stroman again in 2012, though they get partial credit score on Alek Manoah, who was excellent till he broke. Bo Bichette, a second rounder, has outproduced each Blue Jays first-round choose within the final 20 years aside from Stroman by bWAR.
The Jays have additionally had some fairly vital flameouts from past the highest two rounds of the draft. Orelvis Martinez was a high 100 prospect till he examined optimistic for a PED, which successfully ended his profession as a Jay; Ricky Tiedemann danced round arm accidents for years earlier than present process Tommy John in July 2024. Since Stroman, Manoah is the one actually homegrown starter they’ve developed who was higher than a No. 5.
The Dodgers want a win to remain alive, however they’re within the World Collection for the second 12 months in a row, and so they’ve been to the playoffs yearly since 2013. We requested The Athletic’s Keith Regulation whether or not the crew’s farm system is able to maintain this success into the long run. Right here’s Keith:
The Dodgers nonetheless have one of many strongest farm techniques in baseball, a lot in order that they’re going to wrestle to search out at-bats for all of their outfield prospects in 2026. They’ve acquired a number of guys who challenge at the very least as potential stars, together with Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Eduardo Quintero, and Emil Morales; and substantial depth to permit them to make a giant commerce if want be.
The one place the place they’re weaker than regular is in pitching, as they’ve promoted a few of their higher arms but in addition have seen their justifiable share of accidents to high guys, notably River Ryan.
It’s been inconceivable to look at this World Collection and miss the impression Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had on pushing the Blue Jays to the cusp of a championship.
However let’s take a second to completely admire simply how bonkers his postseason has been. This October, Guerrero has …
Guerrero’s postseason slash line is .415/.506/.831 for a 1.337 OPS. He’s 27-for-65 with 11 extra-base hits and 17 runs scored in 16 video games. He has greater than twice as many walks (12) as strikeouts (5).
Vladdy may very well be elevating the World Collection MVP trophy tonight.
There’s nobody the Dodgers would reasonably have on the mound in a must-win recreation than starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After posting a 2.49 ERA in 30 begins this season, the 27-year-old Yamamoto has a 1.57 ERA by means of 4 postseason begins. He enters Sport 6 having turned in back-to-back full video games.
However that is essentially the most high-stress situation one might conjure for Yamamoto. A Sport 7 would appear to be barely much less pressure-packed, since at the very least the opposition feels the identical factor. The Dodgers don’t get that far with out first successful Sport 6, and so they don’t win Sport 6 with out Yamamoto placing a foot down (once more).
Yamamoto flummoxed the Blue Jays in Sport 2, scattering 4 hits, placing out eight and strolling none as he carved Toronto batters together with his six-pitch combine.
Commercial
In any case that discuss of whether or not the Dodgers are ruining baseball, it’s the underdog Blue Jays who’ve a stranglehold on this sequence. I’ve made the case that that is the maximally enjoyable approach for this sequence to play out. The Blue Jays have two pictures to clinch at residence. The Dodgers are behind, however not buried, and so we are going to see what essentially the most gifted roster within the sport can do with its backs in opposition to the wall.
The Jays are vying to be the primary crew to safe the World Collection title at residence because the 2022 Astros. On the raucous Rogers Centre, the identical constructing the place Joe Carter walked off Sport 6 of the 1993 World Collection, the Jays are additionally looking for to change into the twelfth membership to have clinched two championships in entrance of their residence followers. (Listed here are the groups which have finished it greater than twice: Yankees, 12 occasions; Cardinals, seven occasions; Athletics and Crimson Sox, 5 occasions; and Twins, 3 times.)
It’s going to be a scene.
If there’s ever been a band that has united Canada, it’s The Tragically Hip (or simply “The Hip” round right here). So it’s becoming that the pregame playlist at Rogers Centre forward of a possible clincher for a crew that’s united Canada made positive to function at the very least one monitor from the group.
Since utilizing all eight of their relievers in Sport 3, the Blue Jays have used 5 relievers of their previous two World Collection video games, and after a time off, all of their high-leverage arms are presumably obtainable tonight.
Pitched in Sport 5
Pitched in Sport 4
Hasn’t pitched since Sport 3
Seems that Chris Bassitt is prepared for tonight’s World Collection recreation … or trendy warfare:
After utilizing all 9 of their relievers in Sport 3, the Dodgers used 4 complete relievers in Video games 4 and 5. One wrinkle is that two of the 4 — Anthony Banda and Blake Treinen — pitched in each, which means these two pitched three days in a row. Thursday’s off day presumably makes them totally obtainable for Sport 6, nevertheless it’s nonetheless price retaining in thoughts.
Pitched in Sport 5
Pitched in Sport 4
Hasn’t pitched since Sport 3
Commercial
Tyler Glasnow can be within the bullpen for Sport 6 as a risk, whereas retaining in thoughts Sport 7, per Dave Roberts.
Earlier than seeing him in Sport 2 of the World Collection, the Blue Jays had three mixed plate appearances in opposition to Yoshinobu Yamamoto: two by infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (1-for-2 with a strikeout) and two by bench bat Ty France (0-for-1 with a strikeout and a stroll). Sport 2 was the crew’s first significant have a look at Yamamoto, and the Blue Jays didn’t do a lot. Will some familiarity assist them in Sport 6?
Right here's what the Blue Jays hitters did in opposition to Yamamoto in Sport 2.
If the Dodgers do get by means of Sport 6 tonight, it will likely be with out Shohei Ohtani on the mound. Dave Roberts mentioned it’s nonetheless to be decided what his standing could be for a possible Sport 7 as a pitcher.
