World Series Game 7 pitching outlook: The state of each staff, ideal gameplan for Dodgers vs. Blue Jays

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays will play a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night to determine this year's World Series champion. The Dodgers forced the decisive contest on Friday, defeating the Blue Jays in Game 6 to sustain their hopes of becoming MLB's first repeat champion since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000. The Blue Jays will retain home-field advantage in Game 7, however, as they try to secure their first title since winning both the 1992 and 1993 Fall Classics.

World Series Game 7 predictions: Blue Jays vs. Dodgers expert picks with MLB championship on the line

R.J. Anderson

Pitching has been the story of the series. Whether it's Yoshinobu Yamamoto throwing a complete game, Trey Yesavage breaking a longstanding rookie record, or the two sides exhausting themselves in a marathon Game 3, the pitchers on both teams have been the engine making the series go. It would be only fitting, then, if the pitching staffs end up being the talk of Game 7, too.

If you squint, you can already see that shape on the horizon. The Blue Jays are starting Max Scherzer, a veteran of eight prior winner-take-all games. All the signs pointed to Shohei Ohtani getting the Dodgers' nod, but Los Angeles only confirmed as much on Saturday six-plus hours before first pitch.

Below CBS Sports has highlighted the state of each staff entering Game 7, all the while providing an "ideal" roadmap for each team on their pursuit of glory.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Using Ohtani as the starter is the logical call. MLB's rulebook allows for a starting pitcher to serve as DH, and to remain in the game as a hitter even after being removed as a pitcher. There are no carveouts for relievers, however, meaning the Dodgers would have to shed the DH and move Ohtani to a defensive position (likely left field) to keep him in the game if they used him as a reliever and later made a pitching change. That's without factoring in the logistical issue of having Ohtani, who is used to warming up before the game begins, tossing while his spot in the order looms.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seemed to tip his hand about using Ohtani as a pitcher again in this series earlier in the week.

"I haven't talked to Shohei yet, but obviously he won't be available tonight," Roberts said prior to Game 5. "We'll see where he comes in beyond that. But I haven't had that conversation. But certainly, when you're talking about Game 6, potentially Game 7 of the World Series, all hands on deck. So we'll see where that goes.

"If he can go, if it makes sense, certainly he would be an option."

Dodgers' World Series Game 7 pitching plans: Why Shohei Ohtani is starting vs. Blue Jays

R.J. Anderson

Presuming Ohtani gives the Dodgers two or three innings, the question becomes, where do they go from there? Glasnow was penciled in as the bulk pitcher for Game 7, but it's possible that his relief appearance in Game 6 causes the Dodgers to pull back on how far they let him work on Saturday. Roberts has said that everyone except Yamamoto, the Game 6 starter, is available for duty. (Yamamoto, the mad hatter he appears to be, suggested he would be willing to pitch if needed.)

In an ideal world, the Dodgers would lock most of their bullpen in the clubhouse. Rather than tempt fate by drawing from a unit that tied for the second most meltdowns during the regular season, Roberts would tease nine innings from a combination of Ohtani, Glasnow, and Snell. If Roberts does have to slot in a reliever, you have to assume he'll want to do it on a situational basis. Maybe Anthony Banda versus a left-handed batter here, or Emmet Sheehan against the bottom of the order there.

Ideal gameplan: Ohtani, Glasnow, and Snell each turn over the Blue Jays lineup once apiece, with Roberts interjecting a reliever or two only if absolutely necessary. 

Toronto Blue Jays

On Toronto's side of the ledger, the key will be not allowing Scherzer to overstay his welcome. Yes, he's enjoyed a storied career, and yes, he's as intimidating as they come nowadays. But those are no reasons to entrust him with facing this Dodgers order more than once unless the score dictates otherwise.

Manager John Schneider seems less likely to try to patch together this game with starters. The Blue Jays clearly like deploying Fluharty against Ohtani and Seranthony Domínguez versus Teoscar Hernández. You can probably pencil those matchups in one last time. The Blue Jays, unlike the Dodgers, have a fresh closer. Jeff Hoffman probably gets an inning of work in Game 7, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if he ends up working across multiple frames, the way he has three other times this postseason. 

The x-factor here is Yesavage. He struck out 12 Dodgers as part of his Game 5 start, suggesting he may have figured out a lineup that chased him after four innings in Game 1. The Blue Jays will almost certainly use him in Game 7, though it's fair to wonder if it'll just be for an inning or two as Toronto balances the risk-reward dynamic with their budding young star right-hander.

"Yup, everyone that is active on the roster will be available to pitch," Schneider said following Game 6. "Maybe even [Gausman]. So it will be all hands on deck." 

The Blue Jays shouldn't need length. Not only can they likely pencil in multiple innings from Scherzer, Hoffman, and Yesavage, but they have Bieber and Bassitt (albeit on one day's rest) available to them as well. There's simply no excuse for overexposing anyone.

Ideal gameplan: Scherzer turns the lineup over once before giving way to matchup-based relievers like Fluharty and Domínguez. Yesavage works an inning, maybe two. Hoffman closes it out with two frames of his own, with Bieber and Bassitt slotting in as needed.