TORONTO — Baseball is the best, and we will be treated to the maximum amount of it in this World Series with the Dodgers forcing a Game 7 on Saturday night.
It looked like the series might end in walk-off fashion for the Blue Jays before Kiké Hernández started the first game-ending 7-4 double play in postseason history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, clinching the Dodgers’ 3-1 win Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Now, here we are, with the whole season coming down to one game. Here’s a look at seven stats and facts to set the scene for Game 7.
• With an 18-inning Game 3, there has already been a lot of baseball played in this Series, and now it’s going seven games. There have been 124 innings pitched in this World Series, and there will be at least 17 more. That’s 141 innings pitched, which will surpass 1924 (133 2/3) for the most in a seven-game World Series. The only other Fall Classics with at least that many innings pitched were 1912 (147 2/3), 1919 (143), 1921 (141) and 1903 (141), all of which had eight games, either because of ties that led to an added game or a best-of-nine format.
• Speaking of innings, Will Smith has caught each one for the Dodgers. He enters Game 7 with 62 innings behind the plate in this Series. Barring something unforeseen, he will end up with at least 70 innings caught. That would pass Muddy Ruel in 1924 (67 innings) for the most in a seven-game World Series, per Elias. The only player in World Series history to catch at least 70 innings, as of now, was Lou Criger (71) in eight games in 1903, the first Fall Classic.
• Max Scherzer will be on the mound in a familiar spot. He started the last World Series Game 7, in 2019 for the Nationals against the Astros. Scherzer will be the fourth pitcher to start multiple winner-take-all World Series games, joining Bob Gibson (three), Lew Burdette and Don Larsen. It will be the ninth winner-take-all game he pitches in overall, breaking a tie with Aroldis Chapman for the most in postseason history. And at 41 years and 97 days, Scherzer will be the oldest pitcher to start a winner-take-all World Series game.
• The Dodgers’ starter is not official yet, but reports indicate it may be Shohei Ohtani. He hasn’t won the 2025 National League Most Valuable Player Award yet, but it seems very likely that he will. Just four players have started World Series Game 7 on the mound in a year in which they won MVP, per Elias. They are 1968 Gibson, 1956 Don Newcombe, 1945 Hal Newhouser and 1934 Dizzy Dean.
• With the Dodgers forcing a Game 7, we now have seven series that have gone the full distance this postseason. That’s two more than in any other single postseason. And yes, there are more series these days, but seven has been possible since 1995 and in ‘81.
• The Blue Jays have played one full-length series already in the American League Championship Series, and they now find themselves in a second Game 7. They will be the sixth team to play two Game 7s in a single postseason, something that has been possible since the LCS became best-of-seven in 1985. They will join the 2017 Astros, 1991 Braves, 1987 Cardinals, 1986 Red Sox and 1985 Royals. Of the previous five, only the Astros and Royals won both to win the World Series.
• Game 6 was Dave Roberts’ 116th postseason game as manager, fourth most all time. It was his 68th win, breaking a tie with Bobby Cox for third most, behind only Joe Torre (84) and Tony La Russa (71). So it should come as no surprise that he has been in winner-take-all games at the helm before. This will be his ninth as manager, tying A.J. Hinch (5-4 record) for second most, per Elias. Only Dusty Baker managed more winner-take-all games, with 10 (2-8). Roberts is 6-2 in those games, tied with Bruce Bochy (6-0) for the most winner-take-all managerial wins.
