Dodgers force Game 7! Blue Jays start Scherzer, Shohei Ohtani expected to pitch

During the sixth game of the MLB World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 this morning (Nov 1, Beijing time), tying the series at 3-3. The final Game 7 is scheduled for 8 a.m. tomorrow. The Blue Jays have announced veteran 41-year-old Max Scherzer as their starting pitcher, while the Dodgers have yet to name their starter. Besides Yoshinobu Yamamoto, all pitchers are under consideration, and speculation suggests that Shohei Ohtani, who has only had three days' rest, might take the mound.

Today, the Dodgers secured a 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s strong start—he allowed just five hits, one run, and struck out six over six innings. Will Smith and Mookie Betts connected with hits in the third inning, contributing to the win and extending the series to a seventh game. After the game, Yamamoto admitted, "The pressure was definitely high, but I gave it my all and hoped for a good result. I really felt I pitched well."

Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked in the top of the third inning, marking the fifth time he has been intentionally walked in the World Series and the ninth time in the postseason overall. This ranks him second all-time, behind Barry Bonds’ 13 intentional walks in 2002. Ohtani also joins Bonds and Albert Pujols as one of the few batters to be intentionally walked at least five times in World Series history.

The Blue Jays announced that 41-year-old veteran Max Scherzer will start Game 7. The last World Series to reach a seventh game was in 2019, when the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2, with Scherzer starting and pitching five innings allowing two runs, though he received no decision. Additionally, the record for the oldest starting pitcher in a Game 7 was held by Tim Hudson of the San Francisco Giants in 2014 at 39 years and 107 days. Scherzer, at 41 years and 97 days, will break this record by nearly two years.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has not yet named the starting pitcher for Game 7, stating only that anyone except Yoshinobu Yamamoto is possible, including Shohei Ohtani, who has had just three days’ rest, and Tyler Glasnow, who pitched three balls today. Given Glasnow appeared in the ninth inning today, many believe Ohtani’s chances of starting have significantly increased.

When asked if Ohtani might pitch again after just three days of rest, Roberts said, "It’s possible. This is Game 7, and in games like this, things happen that you’ve never done before."