LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have the Toronto Blue Jays right where they want them. World Series — three games at home in three days.
The best-of-three series will resume Monday night at 1-1 as the Dodgers are cheered by a raucous home crowd as they try to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the New York Yankees won three championships from 1998-2000.
Last year, the Dodgers beat the Yankees in New York to win their eighth World Series title. The only time they won at home was at Dodger Stadium in 1963.
Twenty hours after leaving the field under the closed roof of Rogers Center, the Blue Jays practiced at Dodger Stadium on Sunday under a foggy sky that obscured the San Gabriel Mountains. They arrived at the hotel at 4 am.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not arrive at the stadium until 5:00 pm due to a flight delay.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is entering his third game with the Blue Jays at 41 years, 82 days. They hope he can repeat his outing in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, when Scherzer held the Seattle Mariners to two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
“Obviously, as you get older, it's not the same. I know they don't have the same leash that he used to have,” Roberts said. “But man, he's still a great competitor. It's still going to be a tough test for us because he really wants to beat us.”
Dodger fans have their own memories of Scherzer, and they aren't good ones. He was scheduled to start for Los Angeles in Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS but was late due to arm fatigue. That night the Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves and were eliminated.
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“I wouldn’t look back at all for motivation,” Scherzer said. “I have a lot of motivation. I'm here to win and my club is full of guys who want to win too.”
Scherzer and Shane Bieber, who will start Game 4, will become the eighth duo of former Cy Young winners to start back-to-back World Series games for the team, Elias Sports Bureau reported.
Tyler Glasnow starts Monday for the Dodgers, the team he rooted for while growing up about 30 miles from Santa Clarita. He allowed one run and seven hits with 18 strikeouts, eight walks and a 0.68 ERA in three appearances this postseason.
“It's very sentimental and amazing,” he said, “but I think it's something that I'll look back on more and focus on and really feel the feelings about maybe when it's all done. I'm just trying to go to work and do well.”
Toronto played three road games in three days in the ALCS against Seattle. The Blue Jays won the first two and lost the third to win in seven games and earn their first trip to the World Series since 1993.
“Starting pitching is going to be important for both sides, and guys who can throw multiple innings are going to be important over the next three days,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But I think, especially against this team, you have to try to wear down their starting XI and get into their bullpen.”
The Dodgers bullpen had a 5.26 ERA in September, third-worst in the National League that month. Their relievers blew leads several times and allowed 12 home runs.
Los Angeles got a critical lead from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, when he became the first pitcher since Mike Clevinger in 2023 to pitch back-to-back complete games at any point, and the first in the postseason since Curt Schilling in 2001. There hasn't been a pitcher in the World Series since 2015.
“It starts with the rookies going deeper,” Roberts said. “Three matches in a row is very important to diversify the pitcher's appearance and get the optimal matchups you can.”
Roberts said he plans to limit his use of strong rookie Rocky Sasaki to the ninth inning.
Scherzer's production has declined in recent years as he has battled injuries. But he remains as tense as ever, and Schneider was reminded of that during their heated exchange when he visited the mound for Scherzer's ALCS start.
“Tomorrow I will try to avoid any visits to the mounds with Max,” he said.
Bo starts again
Toronto's Beau Bichette will start at second base on Monday. He completed the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning after a 5–1 loss in Game 2 and remained in the game at second.
“I felt good after yesterday,” Schneider said. “I think every day he goes by he'll probably get as close to normal as he can get at this stage of the year.”
Bichette is a two-time All-Star and Friday was his first time playing second base since playing in Triple-A in 2019. He went 1-for-2 with a walk in an 11-4 win in Game 1, his first action since spraining his knee Sept. 6 against the Yankees.
“I have so much respect for him because he's changing positions right now, at this stage, when everything really matters,” said Toronto's Andres Jimenez, who previously moved from second to shortstop. “He's showing he can play second at a good level. The other day he showed you a game on the left that was really difficult.”
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