Published Nov 1, 10:58am ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Nov 1, 10:58am ET
Grok AI
Updated Nov 1, 11:05am ET
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| Toronto Blue Jays | +129 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -142 |
While the Dodgers' age has shown at times this season, so has their experience in the postseason. That has never been more evident than in their must-win victory in Game 6 to push the series to a deciding Game 7.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not pitch his third straight postseason complete game, but he tossed 6 gutty innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and struck out 6. He threw 96 pitches. Unheralded reliever Justin Wrobleski pitched 1 shutout inning, striking out 2. Postseason relief ace Roki Sasaki contributed 1 inning. Tyler Glasnow got the save, getting out of a jam in the 9th, nailing down a save.
Glasnow was expected to be Game 7's starter, but they will instead start Shohei Ohtani. Glasnow will be available in relief, as will everyone else.
In essence, the Dodgers executed while the young Jays were overanxious and made avoidable mistakes, particularly in the ninth inning. LA also benefited from luck when Addison Barger's gapper got stuck under the outfield fence, stopping pinch-runner Myles Straw from scoring, and giving LA the opening to get out of the inning.
Glasnow relieved Sasaki, coerced a quick popup from Ernie Clement, and a looping liner by Andrés Giménez was converted into a double play as Barger was caught off second base.
LA's versatility and attention to fundamentals won out in Game 6. Kiké Hernandez and Tommy Edman being able to play left and center field, respectively, as well as Miguel Rojas manning second base, all came to the forefront in their win.
For Game 7, Ohtani will be functioning on adrenaline, but manager Dave Roberts needs to be ready to go to the bullpen quickly. Ohtani looked weary on the mound as Game 4 wore on. The double duty takes its toll, no matter how great the athlete is.
Mookie Betts broke out of his slump with a key 2-run single in the third inning.
After Game 3, it would have been understandable if the predominantly young Blue Jays would fall to the Dodgers relatively quickly in the aftermath of that devastating loss.
However, they rebounded with convincing wins in Games 4 and 5 to return home with a 3-2 series lead. They need to do it again in the final game of the season. If they do, they take the title.
Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer starts for Toronto. He fought through 4.1 innings in Game 3, giving up 3 runs and 5 hits. Scherzer will be on a shorter leash than Ohtani in Game 7. Again, all hands on deck. Expect to see Trey Yesavage, Chris Bassitt, and even Game 6 starter Kevin Gausman if needed.
DH George Springer played in Game 6, but winced on every swing with his strained oblique. He still contributed 2 hits, driving in the Jays' sole run.
The Jays' youth and overzealousness came to the forefront when they were rallying in the ninth inning.
Alejandro Kirk reached on a hit-by-pitch. Straw replaced him as a pinch runner. Barger ripped his shot into the gap, and it got stuck in the wall, keeping Straw from scoring.
Against emergency reliever Galsnow, Clement was overaggressive, swinging a high, inside pitch and popping out. The Jays seemed to forget that Glasnow has struggled with control issues all season.
Giménez hit a looping liner over shortstop, Hernandez caught it, and doubled Barger off second base to end the game with Springer on deck.
INSANE GAME-ENDING DOUBLE PLAY TO FORCE GAME 7!
— Dodgers Territory (@LADTerritory) November 1, 2025
(Via: @MLBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/8JfovAcP0Y
It was more excess aggressiveness from the Blue Jays.
While their youth has been a negative for them in two of their losses, it has been a positive in their wins in Games 4 and 5. They're more prone to forgetting what happened in Game 6 and moving on with the present in Game 7.
Manager John Schneider needs to act fast to get Scherzer out of there if the veteran struggles. He showed aplomb with bullpen games earlier in the playoffs. That needs to continue.
Anything can happen in a Game 7. Often, it breaks one way or the other on managerial gaffes, regular season starting pitchers taking the mound in relief, mental fortitude, and luck.
While the Dodgers have executed, the Blue Jays' youth has carried them through. For Game 7, expect the Jays to forget about the mishaps of Game 6, ride their young stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Barger, and Bo Bichette, to win Game 7 outright and take their first championship in more than three decades.
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Toronto Blue Jays +126
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