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Ever since the beginning of their careers, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw have shared a connection. Both starters replaced Hall-of-Fame pitchers Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux in their first matchup. Now, both Kershaw and Scherzer are all but guaranteed to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame. For now though, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays need them.
Neither Scherzer nor Kershaw have displayed the dominance that defined their career. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has Kershaw near the back of his starting rotation, even after his All-Star appearance. Despite suffering an injury earlier in the season, Scherzer has been able to bounce back. Until Shane Bieber is ready to return, Scherzer is Toronto's No. 2 starter.
While most fans' attention will be on the pitching matchup, the series between the Blue Jays and Dodgers goes far beyond that. Both teams hold leads in their respective divisions. However, their margin of error has gotten much smaller.
The San Diego Padres and their trade deadline acquisitions have closed the gap in the National League West. The Boston Red Sox have done the same and now only trail Toronto by four games in the American League East. In two divisions that could come down to the wire, every win counts, even when playing a team from the other league.
The weekend series between Los Angeles and Toronto could be a World Series preview. The Blue Jays and Dodgers have two of the league's best records and are capable of riding their momentum to a championship. In order to get there, though, both teams need their older pitchers to continue producing.
When Scherzer and Kershaw finally decide to hang out their cleats, they will go down as legends. The duo, combined with Justin Verlander, defined Major League Baseball pitching in the 2010s for good reason. All three are headed to the Hall-of-Fame as soon as they are eligible.
For now, Scherzer and Kershaw clash for what might be the last time. The Dodgers and Blue Jays hope for good showings so they can start the series strong and send a message. Roberts has Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto ready for the rest of the series. Toronto manager John Schneider will turn to Chris Bassitt and Eric Lauer.
