The Los Angeles Dodgers had the tall task of overcoming the Toronto Blue Jays on the road for Game 6 of the World Series with their backs against the wall. But thanks to a hitting barrage in the third inning and some solid pitching all around (to go with some incredible luck), the Dodgers took home Game 6, 3-1, to send the series to a winner-take-all game on Saturday night.
This series has been a back-and-forth between two of the best teams in baseball this season, and their pitching, in particular, is boiling down to a war of attrition. Game 3 of the World Series, which was an 18-inning marathon, took a huge toll on both teams' pitching staff, and they have now had to adjust. In fact, it was Tyler Glasnow, someone whom many thought was in line to start for a potential Game 7, who closed out the game for the Dodgers by inducing two weak fly balls.
Thus, this now opens the question of which pitcher the Dodgers would go to with the hopes of repeating as World Series champion, in enemy territory, no less. But as per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Shohei Ohtani is the only logical choice to start for LA, and the Dodgers' current plan, indeed, is to start with him on the mound despite being on short rest.
Ohtani was the starter in Game 4 on Tuesday night, so he only has three full days of rest from pitching. But on those off-days, he's still hitting for the Dodgers, so it's not quite clear just how fresh he is and how many innings he'd be able to throw tomorrow night.
Nevertheless, if Ohtani is relieved as a starter, he can stay in the game as the designated hitter. This rulebook quirk means that Ohtani, indeed, is the option that makes sense for the Dodgers to start against the Blue Jays in Game 7.
Can Shohei Ohtani put up another two-way masterpiece for the Dodgers?
Ohtani had the game of his life in Game 4 of the NLCS; he not only shut out the Milwaukee Brewers through six innings of work on the mound while striking out 10, he also hit three home runs in three at-bats while drawing one walk.
He wasn't able to repeat this in Game 4 of the World Series, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered off of him to start the scoring for Toronto, and he was very quiet from the plate during that contest.
But Game 7 is Ohtani's time to shine, as the game's best player looks to cement his status as baseball's undisputed greatest active player.
