How the Los Angeles Dodgers reached the World Series for the third time in six years
USA TODAY Sports’ Gabe Lux explains how the Dodgers dominated the Brewers en route to a World Series appearance.
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TORONTO — Game 7 never gets old. And even the greatest players have to be humble in order to grace the October stage.
Max Scherzer will soon begin training for 11-year-oldsth Shortly after experiencing a winner-take-all game during his storied major league career, where the Toronto Blue Jays kept their season alive with a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, his mind’s record books buzzed and he was drawn back to the 26-year-old’s playoff debut, all the way to the two World Series championships he had won over the past six years.
“Oh, here we go again,” Scherzer said, his usual stomping a little and shaking his head. “I’m just walking around and experiencing Game 7, Game 5, elimination game, final day, all these moments, and you’re going to remember all of them.
“How can I get another one? Oh my god, this one is so special and so hard to come by, so it’s your purpose in life to try again.”
Scherzer didn’t say what he’s trying to pass on to his teammates, but it will be the experience he gained from playing seven Division Series Game 5s, one Wild Card Game, Game 7 of the ALCS and, of course, Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. Scherzer started as the clincher against the Washington Nationals two days after being injured in the starting lineup due to a debilitating neck condition.
And that’s exactly the kind of sacrifice the Mariners and Blue Jays are expecting up and down the roster in what should be an exciting night of baseball at Rogers Center.
Take a peek at the latest installment of baseball’s ultimate win-or-home drama:
Who is free? Everyone
In the hours between the Blue Jays’ blowout loss to Seattle in Game 5 and their comeback in Game 6, closer Jeff Hoffman was talking with his wife about what would happen over the next two nights.
“We were talking about possibly pitching multiple innings today or tomorrow or both. Who knows what that would require?” Hoffman says he actually pitched two near-perfect innings in Game 6, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.
“She asked me, ‘Are you OK with that?’ And it’s like, you don’t have a choice. You can do it. If that’s what the team wants you to do, go out and do it and worry about tomorrow the next day.”
With that in mind, both clubs are in decent shape. The Blue Jays held Hoffman to two innings and set-up man Luis Berland to four outs, but they didn’t touch Seranthony Dominguez, who should be available for overtime in Game 7.
The Mariners used top setup man Matt Blasch for the first inning and Eduardo Buzzard for the second inning. However, left-hander Gabe Speier got a much-needed night off, and closer Andres Munoz did not pitch. If the Mariners hold the lead in the second half, he will almost certainly be called upon for multiple innings. – The game will go into overtime.
That means the reliever is already built to throw until the arm comes off, and both units are in good shape.
everyone goes on deck
There’s nothing more exciting in an elimination game than the starters warming up in the bullpen. And Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber and Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby will both have a troika of veterans.
Bryce Miller, Brian Wu and Luis Castillo will all be available behind Kirby, who gave up eight runs in his Game 3 start.
As for the Blue Jays, Scherzer, Kevin Guzman and Chris Bassitt could provide length if the Beavers hit the wall early. Or extinguish the fire if necessary.
“If you like postseason baseball, this is what it’s all about,” Gausman says. “You might see Max Scherzer in the bottom of the fifth inning, you might see me later in the game, that’s kind of the thing.
“As players, this is what we want. We’ve all been working hard since February 1st.”centeven before that, now we can win one game and go to the World Series. ”
Manager’s mindset
Game 6 was a sedative for Blue Jays manager John Schneider, but his decision to bring in inconsistent left-hander Brendon Little in Game 5 sent the club into a win-or-home position.
Now, the Blue Jays were already staring down mortality, so maybe the mental edge has changed.
Heck, Schneider himself sounds like a man who just got a suspended sentence.
“It’s pretty cool to be where we are, I’m not going to lie,” he said after Game 6.
This is what we register for. Anytime you can play in Game 7 and get to the World Series, it just kind of sounds cool when you say that. But that’s why we sacrifice everything. That’s why players sacrifice everything.
“This team, this group of guys, is special. You never know where this journey will lead. It leads to Game 7 of the ALCS, and that’s awesome.”
“Again, when spring training starts, we say we just need to win one more game to go to the World Series, and we win it every time.”
For the record, that’s two “frickin'”, one “cool” and one “awesome” each.
What about Seattle manager Dan Wilson?
“So tomorrow we’ll adjust offensively and be ready for Game 7,” he said after a night in which the club ended up with double plays in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
“So now it’s time to make those adjustments and baseball is a game of adjustments and they can make it tomorrow night and be ready.”
Vibe check? Advantage, Blue Jays.
heavy history
Both clubs have been around since 1977, but the Mariners have never played in a Game 7.
Toronto has an even more illustrious history, winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. But it’s been 40 years since Game 7 of the 1985 ALCS, when they blew a 3-1 lead to the Kansas City Royals.
The ALCS has been an unkind hurdle for both clubs for the past quarter century. Toronto lost to Kansas City in six games in 2015 and Cleveland in five games in 2016, and Seattle succumbed to the New York Yankees in 2000 and 2001.
Until Eugenio Suarez’s Grand Slam win in Game 5, they had never been one game away from the World Series in their history. They are still waiting and now have to face a grueling Game 7, evenly matched for both teams.
Prediction: Blue Jays 6, Mariners 4
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