Max Scherzer will have the baseball in his hands when Game 7 of the World Series gets underway Saturday night. The 41-year-old right hander will carry the hopes of the Toronto Blue Jays and the nation of Canada as they host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final game of the Fall Classic.
The 41-year-old Scherzer has been known for his intensity throughout his career, and he is emotionally ready for the assignment. Blue Jays manager John Schneider saw the look in Scherzer's eyes as he walked past him in the locker room Saturday night, and he knew his starting pitcher was focused on the job at hand.
“I walked by him last night and he looked like he was ready to kill somebody,” Schneider said, per MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
The Blue Jays gained a foothold in the World Series when they were victorious in Games 4 and 5 in Los Angeles. They were poised to win the championship in Game 6 — or at least tie the score — when they had runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. However, the Dodgers held on to their 3-1 lead when Tyler Glasnow induced Ernie Clement to hit an infield popup and Kike Hernandez made a running catch on Andres Gimenez's fly ball and turned it into a game-ending double play.
Blue Jays will face Shohei Ohtani in decisive game
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will send superstar Shohei Ohtani to the mound in Game 7. Roberts is hoping that he can get several strong innings — at least two and probably no more than four — before he turns the game over to to his bullpen.
The Dodgers used a three-run rally in the third inning to score all their runs in the sixth game. After catcher Will Smith drove in the opening run of the game, slump-ridden Mookie Betts contributed a two-run single giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Jays were held in check by Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He limited the Blue Jays to five hits and one run. The Dodgers bullpen closed out the final three innings, forcing the seventh game.
