TORONTO — Of all the things written and said about the Blue Jays in the aftermath of their 11-4 thumping of the defending champion Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, the words of outfielder Nathan Lukes might have best summed up the tone of his Toronto team.
“We’re not gonna take it lightly,” he said of this opportunity, “and we’re gonna be a pain in the ass.”
The Dodgers probably agreed with that sentiment after taking one on the chin in an opener that altered the narrative of this Series and only enlivened a hungry Canadian crowd all the more.
Though L.A. entered as a heavy favorite, now some doubt has crept in going into Game 2 on Saturday night at Rogers Centre. As they go up against the Blue Jays’ most accomplished starter in Kevin Gausman, a Dodgers team trying to become the first since the 1998-2000 Yankees to repeat can ill-afford to lose this one.
Teams going down 2-0 on the road to start a best-of-seven postseason series have come back to win that series just 11 times in 57 tries (19.3%). So the Dodgers certainly don’t want to go down that road.
“I think that we can be better, we need to be better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Gausman, these guys are fired up. They’re playing good baseball. So just one through nine, we’ve just got to continue to take good at-bats and play good baseball and then we’ll be fine.”
The Blue Jays’ approach against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 will be the same as it was against Blake Snell in Game 1 — make him work, make him sweat, make him hand it off to a muddled middle relief corps. It’s the one area where these loaded Dodgers are vulnerable, as we saw when Emmet Sheehan and Anthony Banda bent in the opener.
After Game 1, let there be no delusions that this is some kind of a mismatch.
“Everyone’s comparing us to David and Goliath,” Lukes said. “But I think it’s more like Goliath vs. Goliath. We’re the two last teams standing, and there’s a reason for that.”
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 is on Saturday at Rogers Centre, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on FOX.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA)
Coming off an NLDS in which he made his first subpar playoff start since his postseason debut in 2024, Yamamoto responded in a big way in the NLCS. He shrugged off a leadoff home run from Jackson Chourio and went the distance in Milwaukee. The masterful performance was Yamamoto’s first complete game in the Majors and the first by a Dodger in the postseason since Jose Lima in the 2004 NLDS. The gem was the latest addition to a strong postseason résumé for Yamamoto, who has gone 4-1 with a 2.82 ERA in seven starts.
Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA)
After starting Game 1 in both the ALDS and ALCS, Gausman was bumped to Game 2 of the World Series to give him an added day of rest. Gausman came out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Mariners, so this move keeps the 34-year-old veteran fresh after the 22-year-old Trey Yesavage stayed on regular rest for the opener. This postseason, Gausman owns a tidy 2.00 ERA, and while his 12 strikeouts over 18 innings is well below his typical rate, he’s made some big pitches in big moments to avoid damage. Yesavage also featured a great splitter in the start ahead of Gausman, but the Blue Jays believe that the fact they come from much different release points with different movement profiles will help Gausman.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Dodgers: Facing another right-hander in Gausman, the Dodgers could very well run back the same lineup they used in Game 1, with the MVP trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman atop the order.
Blue Jays: Shifting back to facing right-hander Yamamoto in Game 2 after seeing lefty Blake Snell in the opener, the Blue Jays will likely flip some of their platoons back, including Lukes sliding back into the No. 2 spot.
Blue Jays: Game 1 couldn’t have gone much better for the Blue Jays on this front. Mason Fluharty was first out of the bullpen to face Ohtani, a matchup you should keep an eye on each game going forward, but after Seranthony Domínguez and Braydon Fisher handled the middle innings, the Blue Jays were able to get to the finish line with Chris Bassitt and Eric Lauer. That’s a major advantage headed into Game 2 with the bullpen on the other side. Jeff Hoffman and Louis Varland are fresh, too, behind Gausman, who is this rotation’s best bet to go deep.
Any injuries of note?
Dodgers: Will Smith, who is dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand, returned to the starting lineup during the NLDS and hasn’t missed a start since. Tommy Edman continues to manage his right ankle, which landed him on the injured list twice this year. Reliever Tanner Scott was not included on the World Series roster as he continues to recover from a lower body abscess procedure.
Anthony Santander was removed from the Blue Jays’ ALCS roster in the middle of the series with a back injury, which makes him ineligible for the World Series. George Springer is the only other injury of note after he took a 96 mph heater off his right kneecap in Game 5 of the ALCS, but judging by the heroic three-run homer he hit in Game 7, he is just fine.
Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Smith continued to stay hot with an RBI single in Game 1. He’s hitting .290 since returning to the lineup during the NLDS. Kiké Hernández (.300) and Edman (.289) have also been steady contributors in the lower half of the order.
Ohtani went deep in Game 1 –- his sixth homer this postseason — but he’s still batting just .222 overall. Andy Pages is hitting .077 this postseason. While he hasn’t done much at the plate, he will continue to start games because the Dodgers don’t have any other viable everyday options in center field, with Edman still managing his ankle.
Blue Jays: There’s still no hotter hitter in the World Series than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who’s batting .447 after a 2-for-4 opener. Ernie Clement deserves more of this spotlight, though, batting .435 and quietly having one of the best postseasons we’ve seen in Toronto. Alejandro Kirk is picking up steam after a 3-for-3 night and Addison Barger, fresh off the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, represents another source of offensive upside in a lineup that needs it. After an 11-run outburst, the Blue Jays’ lineup is suddenly the talk of this World Series, not the Dodgers’ star-studded order.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• This is the Blue Jays’ first trip to the World Series since 1993, the scene of Joe Carter’s famous walk-off home run in Game 6 against the Phillies. Carter will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 2.
• With his 87th postseason game in a Dodgers uniform, Kiké Hernández will break a tie with Justin Turner for the franchise record.
• The Canadian anthem will be performed by Alessia Cara, who was born in Mississauga and grew up nearby in Brampton. The American anthem will be performed by Bebe Rexha.
