LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have the Toronto Blue Jays right where they want them in the World Series — at home for three games in three days.
Tied 1-1, the best-of-seven series resumes Monday night, when the Dodgers will be backed by their raucous fans in a bid to become the first team to win consecutive championships since the New York Yankees won three from 1998-2000.
The Dodgers beat the Yankees in New York last year for their eighth World Series title. The only one they won at home was at Dodger Stadium in 1963.
Twenty hours after walking off the field under the closed roof at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays worked out at Dodger Stadium on Sunday under hazy skies that obscured the San Gabriel Mountains. They arrived at their hotel at 4 a.m.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't make it to the stadium until 5 p.m. after flight delays.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer starts Game 3 for the Blue Jays at 41 years, 82 days. They're hoping he can replicate his outing in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, when Scherzer held the Seattle Mariners to two runs over 5 2/3 innings.
“Obviously, with age, you don’t have the same stuff. I know they don’t have the same leash on him as 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 regardless because he wants to beat us really bad."
Dodger fans have their own memory of Scherzer, and it's not a good one. Scheduled to start for Los Angeles in Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS, he was a late scratch because of arm fatigue. The Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves that night and were eliminated.
“I wouldn’t be looking backwards at all for any motivation,” Scherzer said. “I have plenty of motivation. I’m here to win and I’ve got a clubhouse 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 consecutive World Series games for a team, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
Tyler Glasnow starts Monday for the Dodgers, a team he rooted for while growing up about 30 miles away in Santa Clarita. He's 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 that’s kind of something I’ll look back on more and focus on and really feel the feelings of it maybe when this is 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, and they won in seven games to earn their first World Series trip since 1993.
“Starting pitching is going to be important for both sides, and guys that can throw multiple innings are going to be important in these next three days,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But I think especially against this team, you want to try to wear down their starters and get into their 'pen.”
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The Dodgers' bullpen had a 5.26 ERA in September, third-worst in the NL that month. Their relievers blew multiple late leads and allowed 12 home runs.
Los Angeles got critical length out of starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, when he became the first pitcher since Mike Clevinger in 2023 to throw consecutive complete games at any point and the first in the postseason since Curt Schilling in 2001. There had not been one in the World Series since 2015.
“It starts with the starters going deeper,” Roberts said. “Three in a row is very important to vary reliever looks and kind of get the optimum matchups that you can.”
Roberts said he plans to limit hard-throwing rookie Roki Sasaki's usage to the ninth inning.
Scherzer's performance has tapered off in recent years as he's battled injuries. But he remains as intense as ever, and Schneider was reminded of it during their fiery exchange when he visited the mound in Scherzer's ALCS start.
“I'm going to try to avoid any mound visits with Max tomorrow,” he said.
Bo's back to starting
Toronto's Bo Bichette will start at second base on Monday. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of a 5-1 loss in Game 2 and stayed in the game at second.
“Felt good coming out of yesterday,” Schneider said. “I think with each day that goes on, he’ll probably get as close to normal as he can at this stage of the year.”
Bichette is a two-time All-Star shortstop and Friday’s opener was his first time at second base since a game at 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 on Sept. 6 against the Yankees.
“I have such respect for him because he’s changing positions right now at this stage where everything is really important,” said Toronto's Andrés Giménez, who previously switched from second to shortstop. “He's showing that he can play second at a good level. He showed you the other day with the backhand play that was really difficult.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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