The Dodgers have returned home for the final three games to be played at Dodger Stadium during the 2025 season. After splitting the first two games of the World Series against the American League champion
Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto, the World Series is now a best-of-5 affair, with the Dodgers effectively having home-field advantage.
If there were a time for the Dodgers to pull off a three-game sweep, now would be the time.
Conversely, if there was a time to avoid getting swept at home, that time would also be now. Any other outcome leads to both teams winning an all-expenses-paid trip back to Toronto. In any event, the teams will effectively be working for free starting in Game 5 onwards, with the owners pocketing 100 percent of the gate receipts for the final three games of the series.
Whither the Dodgers MVPs?
At some point, the Dodgers three MVPs, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, are either going to show up to a degree they have not consistently done so far or the Dodgers are going to continue to rely on an attack that has just enough offense with little margin for error.
Yes, consistently is doing a lot of work in the above-paragraph.
With the patchwork nature of the Blue Jays’ rotation, the Blue Jays would not mind a slugfest in trying to force the World Series back to Toronto.
Not counting the wild card series for Betts or Ohtani’s historic NLCS Game 4, the collective offense from the top of the lineup has been far more scarce for comfort:
- Ohtani: 8 for 46, 6 R, 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 19 K, .174/.283/.413
- Betts: 7 for 39, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K, .179/.289/.256
- Freeman: 10 for 45, 6 R, 5 2B, HR, RBI, 7 BB, 11 K, .222/.340/.400
The Dodgers have been chugging along so far, but why win with one’s arm behind the back, when one can effectively throttle a team into submission?
Ohtani has simply been pressing as pitchers are pounding the outside of the strike zone in order to get him to chase. Betts has been robbed by a few defensive gems (most notably against the Brewers) but there have been fewer line drives than anyone would like and far more ground balls. Freeman has been making contact but has been looking for slug for a while.
One might try swapping Freeman and Ohtani in the order as Pages seems to be mired in a postseason approach that renders him almost unrecognizable at the plate, mimicking Teoscar Hernández and chasing far more than he ought to. Whether it is time to rely on Alex Call is an open question as Pages’ leash is likely to dramatically shorten if he does not regain his summer form.
While there is hope that Will Smith and Max Muncy might continue to provide some semblance of length to the Dodgers’ attack, the load would be significantly lightened if Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman provided even nominal improvements over this final homestand.
No one is asking Ohtani to replicate NLCS Game 4 (at the plate) or Betts to replicate his September or Freeman to replicate his 2024 World Series heroics. No one will turn their collective noses at it either, but even average would likely put the next couple of games out of reach.
While any of these three are more than capable of ripping off a hot streak, just look at September, the longer the offensive drought lingers, the more strain there is on the rotation and the bullpen to be perfect and the more likely it will be that the Blue Jays will take this series.
Flopping quad aces
To use some poker terminology, the Dodgers have quad aces in their starting rotation. Contrary to what most might think, flopping quad aces is not unbeatable.
Four aces wins a lot of hands. This analogy is imperfect because sometimes you think you have four aces, and it turns out you really have a jack (Blake Snell, Game 1), and you need some help on the draw. On its face, the next three games should be favorable pitching matchups for the Dodgers on paper.
- Tyler Glasnow vs. Max Scherzer
- Shohei Ohtani vs. Shane Bieber
- (probably) Blake Snell vs. (probably) Trey Yesavage
However, games are not just played on paper. Giving attention to tonight’s starting pitchers, one would hope that Glasnow would provide some effective length to put the Dodgers ahead two games to one.
However, if there is a weaker member of the Dodgers’ four aces, it is likely Glasnow, who has subpar topline stats against the Blue Jays lifetime (going 1-4, 5.82 ERA), but with solid peripherals (.230/.329/.435 slash line against, 68 strikeouts against 27 walks).
Schezer, who infamously quit on the Dodgers in 2021 — much to Walker Buehler’s detriment, has only pitched once in the past month and had a FIP of just under 5 in 2025. Still, the Seattle Mariners were unable to take advantage of Scherzer in Game 4 of the ALCS, which is part of the reason why I had to scramble to break down Rogers Centre last week rather than in April 2026.
Anyone who suggests that the Dodgers should counter Scherzer with Clayton Kershaw because there would be a certain symmetry between Scherzer and Kershaw dueling in the World Series based on their history badly needs to go outside and interact with the outside world.
For want of starting pitching, the Blue Jays are essentially forced to use Scherzer for Game 3. There is zero reason for the Dodgers to squander their rotation strength in the name of nostalgia. Honestly, if we see Kershaw on the mound at Dodger Stadium, it would likely be best if it were a low-leverage appearance.
If the Dodgers needed a fifth starting pitcher, truthfully, Emmet Sheehan would likely fit the bill, even with the virtually impossible position he was put in during Game 1.
Bieber’s postseason is currently mimicking the rollercoaster that Jack Flaherty was on in 2024, with an alternating cycle of abbreivated flops and moderate effectiveness. Yesavage is still just 22 and frankly, even if you squint, he’s still not Fernando Valenzuela.
The Dodgers are once again in control of their own destiny. Whether ultimate victory is in the cards is a question that will be resolved over the next three days in the finale of the home schedule.
