SERIES SCHEDULE (all times PT)
Game 1: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Friday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
Game 2: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Saturday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
Game 3: Blue Jays at Dodgers, Monday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
Game 4: Blue Jays at Dodgers, Tuesday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
x-Game 5: Blue Jays at Dodgers, Wednesday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
x-Game 6: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Friday (Oct. 31), 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
x-Game 7: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Saturday (Nov. 1), 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11)
x- if necessary
Season series: The Dodgers won, 2-1
TALE OF THE TAPE (OFFENSE)
Blue Jays (MLB rank) … category … Dodgers (MLB rank)
94-68 (1st in AL East) … Record … 93-69 (1st in NL West)
798 (4th) … Runs scored … 825 (2nd)
.265 (1st) … Batting avg. … .253 (T-5th)
.333 (1st) … OBP … .327 (5th)
.427 (7th) … Slugging pct. … .441 (2nd)
.760 (3rd) … OPS … .768 (2nd)
191 (T-11th) … Home runs … 244 (2nd)
77 (28th) … Stolen bases … 88 (T-21st)
TALE OF THE TAPE (PITCHING)
Blue Jays (MLB rank) … category … Dodgers (MLB rank)
4.19 (19th) … Team ERA … 3.95 (T-16th)
4.34 (20th) … Starters ERA … 3.69 (5th)
3.98 (16th) … Bullpen ERA … 4.27 (T-20th)
1.27 (16th) … WHIP … 1.26 (14th)
8.95 (5th) … Ks per 9 inns … 9.40 (1st)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JAYS: RF George Springer (.309/.399/.560, 32 HRs, 84 RBIs, 18 SBs), LF Nathan Lukes (.255/.303/.407, 12 HRs, 65 RBIs), 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.292/.381/.467, 23 HRs, 84 RBIs, 96 runs scored), DH Bo Bichette (.311/.357/.483, 18 HRs, 94 RBIs), C Alejandro Kirk (.282/.348/.421, 15 HRs, 76 RBIs), 3B Ernie Clement (.277/.313/.398, 9 HRs, 50 RBIs), CF Daulton Varsho (.238/.284/.548, 20 HRs, 55 RBIs), 2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.262/.297/.313, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs, 12 SBs)
DODGERS: DH Shohei Ohtani (.282/.392/.622, 55 HRs, 102 RBIs, 20 SBs, 146 runs scored), SS Mookie Betts (.258/.3226/.406, 20 HRs, 82 RBIs, 95 runs scored), 1B Freddie Freeman (.295/.367/.502, 24 HRs, 90 RBIs), C Will Smith (.296/.404/.497, 17 HRs, 61 RBIs), RF Teoscar Hernandez (.247/.284/.454, 25 HRs, 89 RBIs), 3B Max Muncy (.243/.376/.470, 19 HRs, 87 RBIs), 2B Tommy Edman (.225/.274/.382, 13 HRs, 49 RBIs), CF Andy Pages (.272/.313/.461, 27 HRs, 86 RBIs, 14 SBs), LF Kiké Hernandez (.203/.255/.366, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs)
The Blue Jays can bang with any team in MLB and they kept going through the postseason despite injuries to Bo Bichette and George Springer – they scored 37 runs in the seven-game ALCS against a good Seattle Mariners pitching staff. ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is most responsible for that. In 11 postseason games, Guerrero has hit .442 with a 1.440 OPS, six home runs and 12 RBIs. He has had plenty of help, though. Ernie Clement has hit .429 in the postseason. Nathan Lukes has stepped up and hit .333. George Springer (remembered by Dodger fans as a key member of the 2017 Houston Astros) suffered a knee injury during the ALCS but has four home runs this postseason (and 23 in his postseason career, tied with Kyle Schwarber for third all-time), including the game-winner in ALCS Game 7.
Bichette finished second in the American League with a .311 batting average during the postseason but injured his knee on Sept. 6 and hasn’t played since. He has been working toward a return for the World Series, but it might be as DH, moving Springer back to the outfield and shuffling the group of Lukes, Davis Schneider and Addison Barger.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, have gotten to this point with their offense being not much more than ordinary. Mookie Betts has hit .293 in the postseason and Will Smith .286, but Freddie Freeman is 9 for 39 (.231) and Teoscar Hernandez is 6 for 27 (.222) since he hit three home runs in the first four games of the postseason. Then there is Shohei Ohtani, who broke out of a 2-for-25 postseason slump with an epic three-home run game in NLCS Game 4. He won’t do that every night, but the Dodgers need him to be more of a consistent contributor. EDGE: EVEN
STARTING PITCHERS
BLUE JAYS: RH Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.57 ERA, 7 regular-season starts, 1.02 WHIP, 8.3 Ks per 9 IP), RH Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 8.8 Ks per 9 IP), RH Trey Yesavage (1-0, 3.21 ERA, 3 regular-season starts, 1.43 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP), RH Max Scherzer (5-5, 5.19 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 8.7 Ks per 9 IP)
DODGERS: LH Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 10.4 Ks per 9 IP), RH Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 11.9 Ks per 9 IP)
The Dodgers’ starting pitchers are on a historic run this postseason. In 10 games, the quartet of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani have allowed just 12 runs in 64⅓ innings while holding hitters to a .132 batting average and 81 strikeouts. In the NLCS, they were even better, allowing just two runs on nine hits over 28⅔ innings. And they’ve been doing this while covering 70% of the Dodgers’ innings, minimizing exposure of their unreliable bullpen.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have given their starting rotation a makeover in the postseason after getting mediocre results during the season. Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt combined to make 48 starts during the regular season but only one (Scherzer in ALCS Game 4) so far this postseason. Swingman Eric Lauer has moved to the bullpen along with Bassitt and Jose Berrios (30 regular-season starts) was lost to an elbow injury in September.
Instead, the Blue Jays have turned to Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage. Bieber, a former Laguna Hills High standout, returned from Tommy John surgery in August. Yesavage was the 20th pick in last year’s draft, climbed from Class-A to the majors this season and made his big-league debut in mid-September. Flashing a nasty splitter, he has struck out 22 in 15 postseason innings. EDGE: DODGERS
PROJECTED BULLPEN
BLUE JAYS: RH Jeff Hoffman (9-7, 33 saves, 7 blown saves, 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 11.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Louis Varland (4-3, 2.97 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.3 Ks per 9 IP with Blue Jays and Twins), RH Seranthony Dominguez (4-4, 2 saves, 3.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 11.3 Ks per 9 IP with Blue Jays and Orioles), LH Mason Fluharty (5-2, 1 save, 4.44 ERA 1.14 WHIP, 9.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Eric Lauer (9-2, 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.8 Ks per 9 IP), RH Braydon Fisher (7-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11.2 Ks per 9 IP), RH Yariel Rodriguez (3-2, 2 saves, 3.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Brendon Little (4-2, 1 save, 3.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 12.0 Ks per 9 IP), LH Justin Bruihl (0-0, 5.27 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, 11.9 Ks per 9 IP), RH Chris Bassitt (11-9, 3.96 ERA, 31 games started, 1.33 WHIP, 8.8 Ks per 9 IP)
DODGERS: LH Justin Wrobleski (5-5, 2 saves, 4.32 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP), RH Blake Treinen (2-7, 2 saves, 5.40 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 12.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Alex Vesia (4-2, 5 saves, 3.02 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jack Dreyer (3-2, 4 saves, 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Roki Sasaki (1-1, 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.9 Ks per 9 IP in 10 appearances, 8 starts), RH Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.9 Ks per 9 IP in 15 appearances, 12 starts), LH Anthony Banda (5-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.7 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tanner Scott (1-4, 23 saves, 10 blown saves, 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.5 Ks per 9 IP)
The Dodgers and Blue Jays have this in common – their bullpens aren’t the sharpest knives in their drawers.
The Blue Jays rely on Jeff Hoffman as their closer. He was a middling performer during the regular season but has been good in the postseason, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out 12 in 7⅓ innings with two saves. Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez have been Manager John Schneider’s go-to choices as setup men after being acquired midseason. He will have Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer and Brendon Little as left-handed options to play the matchup game against Ohtani (as well as Freeman and Muncy). Former Dodgers lefty Justin Bruihl spent most of the season in Triple-A but could be added as another matchup option.
The Dodgers have tried to deal with their shortcomings in the bullpen by avoiding it as much as possible or using starting pitchers (Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw) instead of actual relievers. Sasaki has been key, and the Dodgers will continue to rely on him as their closer by default. Dave Roberts’ “trust tree” doesn’t extend far beyond Sasaki, Sheehan, Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen – who could be falling out of that tree. EDGE: EVEN
BENCH
BLUE JAYS: 3B/OF Addison Barger .243/.301/.454, 21 HRs, 74 RBIs), OF Davis Schneider (.234/.361/.436, 11 HRs, 31 RBIs), OF Myles Straw (.262/.313/.367, 4 HRs, 32 RBIs, 12 SBs), C Tyler Heineman (.289/.361/.416, 3 HRs, 20 RBIs)
DODGERS: IF Hyeseong Kim (.280/.314/.385, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, 13 SBs), OF Alex Call (.267/.361/.385, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs with Dodgers and Nationals), C Ben Rortvedt (.152/.240/.205, 1 HR, 10 RBIs with Rays and Dodgers), OF Justin Dean (.000/.000/.000, 0 HR, 0 RBIs)
The Blue Jays have had to absorb injuries not only to Bichette and Springer but to Anthony Santander. A big free agent signing (five years, $92.5 million), Santander missed a chunk of the season with a shoulder injury and was a bust. He had to be removed from the ALCS roster with a back injury and is not eligible for the World Series. Nathan Luke, Addison Barger and Davis Schneider have picked up the slack.
The Dodgers haven’t asked much of their bench since Will Smith returned to full strength. That isn’t likely to change now. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
MANAGERS
BLUE JAYS: John Schneider, fourth season, 303-257 (.541), third postseason 7-8, .467
DODGERS: Dave Roberts, 10th season, 944-576, .621, 10th postseason 65-45, .591 (five pennants, two World Series titles)
After a long minor-league managerial career, Schneider joined the Blue Jays’ coaching staff in 2019 and was bench coach to Charlie Montoyo when Montoyo was fired in July 2022. Schneider became interim manager and led the Blue Jays to a 46-28 finish and a wild-card playoff spot. That earned him the full-time job. After a last-place finish in the AL East in 2024, he led them to their first division title in 10 years this season and their first World Series appearance since 1993.
Roberts, meanwhile, has the Dodgers in position to win back-to-back World Series championships – baseball’s first in 25 years – in wildly different fashions. Last year’s bullpen-heavy approach has been replaced by riding dominant starting pitching. Roberts has pulled all the right levers both ways, winning 20 of 26 postseason games over the past two years. EDGE: DODGERS
SERIES PREDICTION
Way back in spring training, analysts and observers were saying the Dodgers had so much talent they would steamroll the opposition. They were right – eventually. Since mid-September, the Dodgers have been playing like the ‘super team’ so many saw them as being – 24 wins in their past 30 games, nine wins in 10 postseason games, a historic performance by Ohtani, a suffocating starting rotation. “Before this season they were saying the Dodgers are ruining baseball,” Roberts said after accepting the National League championship trophy. “Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball.” They will have to buck history to make history – teams have not been successful after long layoffs like the six-day break that followed the Dodgers’ NLCS sweep. That might open the door for the Blue Jays early in this series. But history awaits. DODGERS IN SIX