Yamamoto has had some bad outings this year, but he's been excellent lately.
He threw a lot of pitches on two consecutive starts but those were not on regular rest.

In theory, the hitters have an advantage facing the same pitcher a week later.
Sure didn't help against Yeasavage.

The 2 key pitches are the fastball and the curve.
I wouldn't sit on a slider or a split.
Those are mostly strike to ball offerings.

You can probable run on him if he's throwing a breaking ball.

This team just gives me confidence. I don't think they'll let Yamamoto do that to them twice. And i think Gaus will step up as usual. of course that doesn't mean we necessarily win tonight even then.

Our pen seems to be in good shape. Not that it would have effected our usage any given this is the last weekend of the season, but every pitcher on the staff has had at least 2 of the last 3 days off, and only Yesavage and Bieber have thrown more than 22 pitches over the last 3 days. So John can do whatever he wants tonight and potentially tomorrow. The ONLY thing he probably won't do is use Yesavage tonight - but tommorrow he's absolutely in play. The circle of the trust seems to have grown this series, with all of Varland Hoffman Bassitt Lauer seeming trustworthy and maybe Dominguez and Fluharty too. But I hope we keep that circle very tight.

Yamamoto Game 1 pitch usage and (value/100)

Splitter: 32.4% (+5.1)
4 Seam: 23.8% (-2.7)
Curve: 21.9% (+10.0)
Cutter: 12.4% (+4.8)
Slider: 5.7% (+3.2)
Sinker: 3.8% (-4.7)

well the good news is we were on his 4seam and 2seam in game 1, bad news is he destroyed us with everything else.

Even if Gausman is pitching well, they should be ready to go to the ‘pen straightaway if he starts flagging. I wouldn’t push him much beyond 75-80 pitches. The leverage arms are all fresh and ready to go.

Probably belongs in a postseason thread, but hey they posted the article today so maybe you guys are interested:

https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays-rogers-communications-world-series-de126e03

It Was a Small Tweak to the Corporate Org Chart. It Has Toronto One Game From a Title.

For nearly two decades, the Blue Jays operated differently from the rest of baseball—and struggled on the field. Then they changed tack, opened the vault, and built a winner.

...Perhaps the most important development on the Toronto Blue Jays’ climb to the World Series wasn’t a shrewd trade or a splashy free-agent signing. It wasn’t even Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500 million contract extension.

It was a subtle tweak to their corporate organizational chart, one that came with no public announcement and received no fanfare. Yet it signaled a new era in the franchise’s fortunes.

For nearly two decades, the Blue Jays had operated differently from the rest of Major League Baseball, people familiar with the matter say. The executive responsible for running their front office didn’t report directly to ownership, as is standard within the industry. Instead, he was mired in a web of management bureaucracy within the sprawling ecosystem that makes up Rogers Communications, the Canadian telecom giant that purchased the team in 2000.

Around 2018, however, Rogers changed course. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro would no longer report to the president of Rogers Media, the subsidiary that encompasses the Blue Jays. From then on, he would answer to a small committee of Rogers Communications’ most senior leadership, including CEO Tony Staffieri and Edward Rogers, the executive chair of the company that bears his name.

The switch might sound trivial, but it was indicative of something far greater. Rogers was in the process of elevating its sports properties from a noncore asset into one of the key components of its overall business.

Staffieri now describes sports as “a third pillar of growth” for the company, alongside its cable and wireless arms...

https://x.com/Evan_Streifel/status/1981365761529827800

Game 5 had the highest Canadian audience ever for a Blue Jay's game at 7.2 million. The stadium has been full since sometime back in the summer, and, win or lose, attendance should remain strong next season. Ownership can see that spending money leads to making money so I'd expect payroll to stay the same or increase next season.

A summary for those of us boycotting that entire ecosystem? 

just an enjoyable coca cola tv spot from October 1993

An interesting bit by FanGraphs on Yamamoto in Game 2: In Game 2, the Blue Jays had 10 hard-hit balls against Yamamoto, produced by seven of the team’s 10 batters (including pinch-hitter Bo Bichette) — all but righty Isiah Kiner-Falefa (for whom Bichette pinch-hit in the seventh) and lefties Andrés Giménez and Daulton Varsho. Yet of those 10 hard-hit balls, only George Springer’s first-inning double, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s third-inning single (a 113.9-mph rocket that ricocheted off the left field wall), and Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly ended up helping Toronto’s cause. The Blue Jays hit .222 and slugged .333 on those hard-hit balls, where they could have been expected to hit .504 and slug .955. That’s a lot of bullets dodged.

My comment after Game 2 was that they'd been BABIP'd (not that they haven't had the reverse during the year) - there was a lot of hard contact, albeit mostly on ground balls. I thought the LHH's in particular were struggling against Yamamoto's curve (which was nasty) so it will be interesting to see if they have any better luck tonight having seen it now.

Buster Olney
@Buster_ESPN
·
45m
Mookie Betts hitting cleanup for the Dodgers today. Miguel Rojas at 2b, Tommy Edman in CF.

There's a video of Dave Roberts doing a faceplant at RC while racing Hyesong Kim around the bases.
Apparently happened yesterday.

Pretty wild that the Jays have forced Roberts into removing a 27HR 86RBI 114OPS+ player from the lineup. They be panickin.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
@bnicholsonsmith
·
4m
Bo Bichette says he’s not anticipating needing off-season surgery on his knee.

The hard-hit balls account for the 4 hits but the bad part was the 8 strike outs.
Turning some of those outs into soft hits could be the difference.

Lineup looks good, as long as George can swing the bat with authority. I guess Davis can sub in if there’s a problem.

Feels like Varsho’s bat (right in the middle of the order between Bichette and Kirk) is going to be important tonight.

Gentlemen and gentlewoman - it's been a pleasure to be a part of "Da Box" all these years and I want to take a minute to congratulate the special core fans that have helped to make this place so special and certainly elevated my following of the team from my 20s to 30s to 40s. I still can't shake off the shock of where this team is even though "I shouldn't be shocked because I'm a true fan, right?"

In the humour department I was a season ticket holder 2014 - 2024 and dropped my seats last year. Haha. Scored seats for Game 7 (and got new seasons for next year today) but I am hoping Jays close this out tonight.

Thanks everyone for elevating my understanding of the game through the written word on this site.

* correction I dropped my seats for this year 2025 not 2024.

Dang, if that was all it took for the Jays to win we'd have pushed you to dump those years ago ... 😀

I like the lineup but would prefer to see Guerrero 2nd and Luke pushed down to near the bottom.

Last time the Dodgers faced elimination in the playoffs at all…. was last year in the NLDS against the Padres. Actually were down 2–1 in that series and had to win twice. Which they did, thanks to San Diego not scoring a single run in either game.

Obviously indicative of nothing here in this moment. Stuff like that just makes me nervous.

That might be the best inning I’ve ever seen Gausman pitch. Crazy good location on the splitter.

Helluva start to the game for Gausman, wow.

Nice start, Gaus. Keep throwing those filthy splitters down in the zone until the Dodgers prove they can actually hit them or lay off.

Hard contact GB right at a fielder. That looked like last game:(

Remind me, which team led baseball in come from behind wins this year? One more time.

Didn’t even think Gausman was leaving pitches over the plate (maybe the pitch to Edman), Dodger hitters just squared up a few.

Gonna need to figure out Yamamoto pretty soon, me thinks.

Intentional walk comes in to score.

I didn’t hate the IBB.

Yeah, IBB especially early are usually a bad idea; however, 2 outs and someone on 2nd with Ohtani up? That is text book IBB.

Some good contact but right at people at the worst possible time. Gotta keep it close.

It’s getting late early. Have to have half an eye to tomorrow in terms of bullpen usage.

I think the Blue Jays will go all out in an effort to win tonight. In a two-run game in game 6 of the World Series, I expect to see the best leverage arms deployed after Gausman.

Yamamoto has been deadly. Just have to grind and try to get back in this one.

Gausman has been really good too. Just had that one tough inning, with the Betts single the critical blow.

“Feels like Varsho’s bat (right in the middle of the order between Bichette and Kirk) is going to be important tonight.”

It sure was there, scottt.

I would have gone Gausman, Bassitt, Hoffman tonight. I don't really get the Varland love.

Letting Gimenez hit wouldn’t be my choice.

Fluharty isn't a high leverage reliever. Much rather walk Ohtani and use a righty.

Jays top of the order to lead off the 8th. Dodgers going to Sasaki for two to close?

Good god, Ohtani. That’s a pop up to the shortstop for normal humans. How’d that go off the freaking fence?????

Well, that was close, but holding it to no runs means the top of the order can go ahead now. One more comeback!

Well, comeback kids...all our bases belong to us.

pinch run for springer? No.

“Feels like Varsho’s bat (right in the middle of the order between Bichette and Kirk) is going to be important tonight.”

It sure was there, scottt.

They’ve had some chances. Haven’t had the hit yet.

Varsho has come up short in a few big at-bats tonight.

Have to think all of these relievers will be available and relatively fresh tomorrow as well (if necessary).

No commercial.

Really a brilliantly pitched game by all the Toronto pitchers.

Okay, time to go win this thing in the usual Jays World Series way…a dramatic Game Six victory!

Pinch run for Kirk?

I need Vladdy in my living room to help me breathe.

Whatever happens in this game, that was a massive hit by Barger.

Radio made the ground rule double call sound like the most biased indefensible call.

No pinch hitter for the 9 hitter?

Insert expletive here

What a horrible ending. Horrible ab by Clement and awful baserunning by Barger.

Kike was playing in as Gimenez often just dinks the ball to left. I don't think Barger realised that.

Good call Gerry.

Everything after the Barger double was devastating: the Clement hack/popup on pitch 1 from Glasnow, the Gimenez soft liner, the critical Barger baserunning error to end the game.

8 hits to 4 for the Jays. They have been the better team.

With Glasnow in there I guess Ohtani starts tomorrow.

What a devastating way to lose.

Ball getting stuck under the wall in a world series game, can't make it up.

Ball under the wall only kept it from being a 3-2 loss instead of 3-1, assuming the same at bats afterward, not that it matters. Probably good Game 7 is tomorrow, because sitting with that one for awhile would really sting.

It feels like this was a stolen game by LA because we had 8 hits, no errors, 2 BB to LA's 4 hits, 4BB and 1 error with no HR for either side (3 2B for each side, all other hits singles). Normally that distribution of threats/hits ends with a Jay win.

Toronto win probability was 43.1% when Clement came up in the 9th. Down to 28.4% after the pop out.

Wouldn't Schneider PH for Gimenez make sense in the 9th?

If the ball hadn’t got stuck and Straw had scored, would the Blue Jays have tried to bunt Barger from second to third with none out?

Interesting way for that to end.

I know Ernie likes to swing early but he swung at the pitchers pitch.

Glasnow made a textbook first pitch to Clement to induce the popup: a FB up and in, out of the strike zone. I wish Clement had shown a tinch more patience in that PA with the SP coming in cold out of the bullpen.

The Barger gaffe is reminiscent of the Vladdy pickoff at second base in the playoffs a couple of years ago. Let’s hope this crucial baserunning error doesn’t come back to haunt the Blue Jays as well.

And yeah, maybe if it's just Barger at 2nd base you see Clement try to bunt him over, since it's a much easier bunt without a runner at third... who knows. Best not to think about it I already feel like an emotional train just ran me over.

Only move I'd make tomorrow is to put Schneider in for Lukes who seems to hit a soft fly to left every ab and has had a ton of bad abs this World Series. Since Dodgers are likely to go through a lot of pitchers anyway, no need to go lefty/righty matchup.

Guess we couldn't have 2 magical Springer moments this playoff. Sigh. What bugged me the most was twice Gimenez came up with runners in scoring position and wasn't hit for late. Well, that and the brain fart by Barger.

Game 7 for the first time since 1985's heartbreak. At least this time we know it won't end on a wind blown triple. Scherzer getting a game 7 start, lets hope for some old guy magic. He does have a WS game 7 start - 2019 for Washington, they won and he went 5 allowing 2 runs. Lets hope for history to repeat itself.

On the good news, Glasnow by pitching will be more limited tomorrow than he'd otherwise have been (even if it was only 3 pitches), Sasaki they'll be nervous to bring in again after 33 pitches tonight, Yamamoto won't be available out of the pen. So lots of chances for big innings.

Moving on to tomorrow, what is the best way to deploy the pitching staff against LA?

-Should Scherzer start the game?
-Should the Blue Jays use an opener (maybe Lauer to Ohtani and Freeman out)?
-Is Yesavage available, and if so, should he pitch a couple of innings?
-Is Bieber available, and if so, should he be used?
-Should the Blue Jays essentially run a bullpen game, with a bunch of arms pitching an inning or two (maybe after 3-5 innings by Scherzer)?

Should Davis start over Springer, maybe with Springer available to PH?

What bugs me the most is that John Schneider has consistently hit for Giminez all season long in similar situations (losing/tied vs. LHP), and that the obvious replacement (Davis Schneider) had just hit a big HR against a LHP in the previous game.

This one stings, but I'm confident for Game 7. Ohtani can't pitch the whole game and I don't think their bullpen can shut us down twice in a row.

My pitching guess is Scherzer starts, goes 4 or 5. Yesavage goes 6/7 maybe 8, Hoffman 9th. Lauer used if needed for 2 innings+, Bieber available if needed too. Unlikely to see others except to clean up innings.

Dodgers are a mess now - wouldn't be shocked if Ohtani starts, goes 1-2 innings, then Glasnow for up to 5 innings, then they'll go fingers crossed with whoever can throw (Snell - would be a mistake imo for them to use him, but sure why not?). Sasaki available as everyone is but doubtful for more than 1 or 2 batters, if that.

MLB is such a physically taxing sport. Look at all the Blue Jays impacted by significant injuries this season: Springer, Varsho, Kirk, Bichette, Vladdy, Gimenez, Santander, Berrios, Garcia, Sandlin, Burr, Francis, Tiedemann…I’ve probably missed some. And some players have had multiple injuries, like Springer (concussion, knee, wrist, side).

But the team has nonetheless been able to assemble a very good, if somewhat hobbled, roster this series.

I think Scherzer will have a very short leash and last 2 maybe 3 IP max. Then they will go to Bieber and then Bassitt then Yesavage. Hoffman, Dominguez and Fluharty would be sprinkled in between. Oh and don't forget Varland probably somewhere just for kicks and to break the MLB record.

Gimenez' ball had a. 710 expected batting average. He's had fantastic abs this world series. I get why Schneider didn't pinch hit for him. I said only move I'd make was replacing Lukes with Schneider but I'd also switch Varsho and Barger. Varsho is so easy to pitch to right now, fastball up, splitter down, fastball way up, splitter way down, swing. Barger has been on a tear.

Game 7 will be a starters day. Ohtani, Glasnow and maybe Snell for the Dodgers.

Scherzer, Beiber, Yesavage and Hoffman for the Jays. Hoffman could be the only reliever in game 7.

What concerns me about Scherzer/Bieber/Hoffman is that they’ve allowed a lot of home runs this year. It’s easy to say that Schneider can address this by using a quick hook, but a couple of runners on plus a blast by LAD could put the Blue Jays at a major disadvantage in the game.

The one thing I would say (as I’ve said all season with respect to opponents’ superstars like Judge, Raleigh and Ohtani) is — don’t let Ohtani be the player who beats you at the plate. He may have struggled at times in this series but he is a game-changing hitter.

Not pinch hitting for Gimenez was the mistake, in my opinion... Schneider was playing for a tie instead of a win.

Personally I think players should have to try and dislodge a ball to be called stuck. It was sticking out pretty good.

LA now has the momentum.

I agree that the big thing is to make sure Ohtani doesn't best you at the plate. Marc, it appears every time the Jays lose momentum it actually works in their favour as they come back stronger and close.

Second game this series where I feel like LA stole it. The other one was game three.
The Dodgers put runners on base in two out of the nine innings; the other seven were three up, three down. They struck out 12 times. 4 balls hit 100+.

The Jays had runners on in 8/9 innings. They struck out 8 times. 6 balls hit 100+.

I hope the baseball gods chose to reward us in game 7 because the Jays have been the better team in 5/6 to far but have still lost 2. I know “that’s baseball” but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

LA rode their momentum from winning Game 2 and then Game 3 in 18 innings right into finishing the WS in five, defeating the Mariners who rode their big Game 5 momentum into winning the ALCS, which is why we're in the off season currently and wondering what moves the Jays are going to make.

So what do you guys think Bichette gets on the open market? 

Jays definitely outplayed Dodgers this series. Kind of ironic that horrible baserunning has been so damaging to Jays who are usually a team with good fundementals. Yesterday was mostly down to bad luck and sequencing and just terrible abs at the wrong time (Varsho has been awful for a while now). Game three was horribly managed and Bo's going to second was an all-time bad baserunning error.

I don’t really think momentum is a thing at this point. There is one game left in the season. Both teams have fought extremely hard to get to this point. It will be all hands on deck and high adrenaline throughout for both teams. The team that executes better, and that has a bit more of that postseason magic/luck, will prevail in the series. Maybe home field advantage gives the Blue Jays that extra 1% they need to push them over the top.

Enjoy every moment, a game of this magnitude and intensity may not come around again for the Blue Jays for a long time.

Momentum was probably a bad word. I guess the Dodgers have hope now. They looked defeated after Game 5 and really didn't play that well in Game 6 outside of one inning.

As long as the pitchers execute, I like the Jays chances. But Scherzer worries me. As does Yesavage on such short rest.

Side note. The umpiring was pretty good in last night’s game. I hope that’s the case again tonight. We don’t need any more 2015 Ben Revere or 2025 Dalton Varsho blown call moments.

man that was tough. we still looked like the better team but couldn't quite do it.

now it's grip your butts time tonight and anything can happen. ah well should be fun....i think.


and i know betts swung through a 94mph inside heater earlier in that at bat but after the next high 97 fastball i thought he was set up perfectly for the devastating splitter but he got the 96 heater exactly where the 94 was and and was ready for it this time. i was surprised by that pitch call. I think we let mookie off the hook there.

This has been a fun series. Both teams are likeable. Can we extend to a best of 9?

I hope today is an all time classic game. Whatever way it goes.

I think the market for Bo is smaller than it has been for other premium SS. Bo’s defence and injury history (and correlation with declining speed) might give pause even for those teams with need up the middle. You have to be convinced the bat will keep playing. I think he has to entertain teams that want him at second if he wants to max the payout. Bowden said 7/189 which I think is a good ballpark. I think his contract ends up with options annd/or opt outs. On the other hand: I think Nimmala is years away and we don’t know enough about Parker. I think Bo is back next year, it might make sense for him to take a short “show me” deal with a higher AAV which would let him hit the market again AND take another run with the boys.

The Jays need to spend money on upgrading the pitching staff in the offseason - Bo is likely to be left at the alter.

Agree with Ugly. I was shocked they didn't throw Betts splitter out of the zone there. Gausman had an incredible world Series. Shame we just couldn't score for him.

I had this plan. It was so clever.

I was wondering what I, a humble non-combatant sitting on my couch, could do to help the team. And I had this idea - why don't I produce a summary of what's happened in every World Series Game 7. Ever. All 40 of them. Because surely, after I'd expended all that labour, the universe would mock my efforts by making the whole thing not necessary. And there wouldn't be a Game 7.

I don't know what went wrong. I simply don't understand it. Maybe my motives were a little transparent? Maybe because I hadn't quite finished? Hey, I'd written up 30 of the 40 by the time the game began. What do you want from me? All of it?

Okay, okay.

I thought the same thing about the Betts PA, uglyone. The FB that resulted in the Betts base hit was the more predictable pitch for the reason you mentioned — it was the pitch pitchers are “supposed” to throw in that situation (doubling up on a FB when the previous FB had just beaten the hitter). But the split was Gausman’s best pitch last night — it was frequently devastating — and I think a splitter low and away, on or just off the corner, or maybe a split down or down and in, would probably have beaten Betts.

The pitch that Betts hit was in a similar location to the FB that Varland threw and that resulted in the Judge three-run home run in the ALDS. Not a terrible pitch, but one that caught too much of the plate to a good hitter who was looking for the fastball.

Kiki Hernandez when interviewed after the game said he was playing shallower than the coaches told him to because he knew Gimenez didn't hit it as hard on his non-pull side. He also lost the ball in the lights and only saw it shortly before he caught it. Bargar should have seen his positioning and stayed closer to the base, of course, so getting doubled off was on him. All in all, it was not a typical late inning Jay's rally.

I believe tonight will be the first time in team history that the Blue Jays have played baseball in November. They clinched the 1992 World Series on October 24 and the 1993 one on October 23.

WS game 7's....

• 2019: Washington won with Scherzer starting (5 IP 7 H 2 R/ER 4 BB 3 SO 1 HR), over Houston with Springer leading off in CF going 0-4 with a walk.
• 2017: Houston over LAD; Springer leading off in CF (2 for 5, 2 R 2 RBI 1 K HR & 2B)
• 2016: Cubs over Cleveland: 10 innings, no current Jays on either team
• 2014: SF over KC: no current Jays on either
• 2011: StL over Texas: no current Jays
• 2002: Angels over Giants: no current Jays (duh)
• 2001: Arizona over NYY: the famous blown save by Rivera, Randy Johnson getting the win in relief. A reminder that even the best of the best can mess up in the biggest game possible. That the best starters can be used in relief in these games.

That is it for this century. A lot more than I expected, especially in the 2010's, but this is the first in the 2020's. Other years are 1997, 1991, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1982, 1979, 1975, 1973, 1972, 1971 - covers my lifetime and the entire period of divisions/wild cards/more than 1 round of playoffs (pre 1969 it was just the World Series, no other playoffs). Note: pre 1949 the Negro leagues had more than 1 round a few times.