The Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers are locked in a tight World Series battle, with the series tied at one game apiece as it shifts to Los Angeles [1]. The Blue Jays made a triumphant return to the World Series, defeating the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 [11]. However, the Dodgers will look to capitalize on their home-field advantage in the upcoming games [4].
Bichette's Return and Scherzer's Start
All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette made his return to the Blue Jays lineup in Game 1, playing second base for the first time [6, 14]. Bichette had been sidelined since September 6 due to a knee injury [6]. Despite not doing "all that much," his presence was a significant takeaway from Game 1 [14]. However, he was out of the lineup for Game 2 [16]. Manager John Schneider emphasized adapting and finding optimum matchups against the Dodgers, similar to their approach in the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners [7]. Max Scherzer, formerly of the Dodgers, is slated to start Game 3 for the Blue Jays in Los Angeles, followed by Shane Bieber in Game 4 [18]. Some Dodger fans may remember Scherzer's late scratch due to arm fatigue in Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves [3]. Scherzer insists he is not looking back for motivation and is focused on winning [3].
Ohtani's Series and Bullpen Concerns
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani laughed off taunts from Blue Jays fans [2]. The Blue Jays faced Ohtani in August, scoring two runs in 5 2/3 innings [20]. They haven't faced him since 2022 [20]. The Dodgers' pitching matchups appear to favor them in Games 3 and 4, but their bullpen could be a concern [8]. Blake Treinen and Roki Sasaki have made seven appearances each, including the Wild Card Series [5]. The Blue Jays did not play in the Wild Card Series [5]. The consecutive games in Los Angeles will test the bullpens, potentially requiring pitchers to pitch on back-to-back days [5].
TL;DR
* The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied 1-1 in the World Series as the series moves to Los Angeles [1]. * Bo Bichette returned to the Blue Jays lineup after a knee injury, playing second base in Game 1, but was out of the lineup for Game 2 [6, 16]. * Max Scherzer is scheduled to start Game 3 for the Blue Jays against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers [18]. * Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is taking the series in stride, while the Dodgers look to leverage home-field advantage [2, 4].