It all comes down to this.
Regardless of whether the Toronto Blue Jays win or lose, Saturday evening’s game will be the final game of the 2025 MLB season. That said, a loss would sting that much more given how Game 6 ended on Friday evening.
The good news is that the Blue Jays tend to respond well when they beat themselves, and make no mistake, they beat themselves yesterday. The same argument can be made about Game 3, as the Blue Jays decimated their lineup in an 18-inning walk-off loss. Realistically, the Jays have been the second-best team in just one game this World Series, but that doesn’t matter when the series is tied 3-3.
In the off-season, the Blue Jays signed veteran Max Scherzer for games just like this. Now, the 41-year-old will start the most important game in Blue Jays history. Since 2018, there have been two games that went the Game 7; the other was in 2019, when Scherzer started for the winning Washington Nationals.
The Blue Jays are 1-1 in games that Scherzer has started this postseason. In Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, he threw five and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs. His most recent start was in Game 3 of the World Series, where he was pulled after giving up three earned runs in four and a third innings. Scherzer finished with a no-decision as the Jays lost in the 18th inning.
After using Tyler Glasnow for the final three outs on Friday, the Dodgers will turn to Shohei Ohtani on short rest. He’s the greatest player of all time, but the Blue Jays got to him in Game 4. In six + innings of work, the superstar gave up four earned runs in six innings of work, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run home run being the two runs that came in with Ohtani on the mound. The other two runs were inherited runners that the Dodgers’ bullpen allowed to come in.
Although short rest is usually good for the opposition, the Blue Jays struggled against Bryce Miller in Game 1 of the ALCS after he had just three days’ rest. Hopefully, the Jays don’t have the same type of game.
Daulton Varsho struggled in Game 6, as he hit into a double play and left four runners on base in his final three plate appearances. He drops down to the seventh spot in the lineup. Taking his place (fifth in the lineup) is Addison Barger. The 25-year-old’s baserunning error potentially cost the Jays Game 6, but he’s slashing .476/.500/.714 in the World Series, with five multi-hit games.
Aside from switching Barger and Varsho, the Blue Jays’ lineup is the same as Friday’s Game 6. George Springer leads off, Nathan Lukes bats second, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bats third, and Bo Bichette is batting in the cleanup spot. After Barger is Alejandro Kirk, followed by Varsho, Ernie Clement, and Andrés Giménez.
Let’s set up Saturday’s winner-take-all Game 7 for the World Series.
Location: Toronto
First Pitch: 8:00 PM ET
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, FOX, SN590
Starting Pitchers
Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 1-0 record, 4.50 ERA, 10 IP, 8 SO, 5 BB
Los Angeles Dodgers – Shohei Ohtani: 2-1 record, 3.50 ERA, 18 IP, 25 SO, 5 BB
Lineups:
Blue Jays:
- George Springer – DH
- Nathan Lukes – LF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -1B
- Bo Bichette – 2B
- Addison Barger – RF
- Alejandro Kirk – C
- Daulton Varsho – CF
- Ernie Clement – 3B
- Andrés Giménez – SS
Dodgers:
- Shohei Ohtani – DH/P
- Will Smith – C
- Freddie Freeman – 1B
- Mookie Betts – SS
- Max Muncy – 3B
- Teoscar Hernández – RF
- Tommy Edman – CF
- Enrique Hernández – LF
- Miguel Rojas – 2B
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.