Blue Jays vs. Dodgers, Game 3, 8:00 ET
Blue Jays vs. Dodgers, Game 3, 8:00 ET
We have a unique day today, with a sports equinox happening. That means that all four of the major sports are playing on the same day. We have Monday Night Football with the NFL, multiple hockey games in the NHL, a handful on the hardwood with the NBA, and we are lucky enough to get Game 3 of the World Series. The series is tied at one game apiece and now shifts to Los Angeles as the Blue Jays take on the Dodgers.
Toronto came into this series with most people writing them off. They were able to steal the first game, and their odds instantly dropped from winning the World Series to being about even. As of today, they are back to being underdogs in the series. But should they really feel like an underdog? Should the Dodgers really be -225 to win three of the next five games? In Game 1, there was no question that the Blue Jays were the better team. Blake Snell looked anything but Snell-esque as he was rocked. The Dodgers still scored four runs, and their offense has been fine in both games. Toronto was able to get 11 runs on 14 hits. What is probably most concerning about the performance is that they scored nine runs in the sixth inning. They have scored three total runs in 16 innings. They were able to get nine of their runs in the first game off of homers as well, which isn’t always a sustainable way to score. In Game 2 when they scored just one run, it was on a sacrifice fly and just four hits. The Dodgers showed their power a bit, getting two homers in the seventh inning, but the rest was pieced together. I am not sure exactly when the Stand Up 2 Cancer thing happened, but that break could’ve thrown off the Toronto pitchers. If it did, I’d just be making an excuse. The reality is that Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a gem for the Dodgers.
DUNEDIN, FL – FEBRUARY 25: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch to the plate during the spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays on February 25, at the TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Pitching was almost always going to be the edge for Los Angeles. The arms in the rotation are significantly better than those of Toronto. It is quite literally showing you what money can buy a team. Toronto has piecemealed together their rotation, looking for diamonds in the rough, while also relying on Kevin Gausman, a former Cy Young winner. They send another former Cy Young winner out to the mound, Max Scherzer. This is a guy that is very familiar with big games, and even pitching in Los Angeles having been a Dodger in 2021. He was instrumental in getting past the Mariners, going 5.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs. This could be his last start in his career. He has had success against most Dodgers, holding them to just a .221 batting average. On the other side, the arm of Tyler Glasnow is where the Dodgers put their trust. Glasnow being the third pitcher for a team is almost absurd, almost as absurd as the fact that they get Shohei Ohtani to pitch for them tomorrow. Glasnow has made two starts, going 11.2 innings and allowing just five hits, and one earned run. Glasnow has done a great job of pitching against the Blue Jays, holding them to just a .210 batting average. Vlad Guerrero has been good against him, though, hitting 6-for-17 with three extra-base hits.
The books are being disrespectful to Toronto, but I can’t really say I argue with them in this one. Glasnow has been very good, and when he is on, he is Cy Young caliber. Scherzer is never a guy that I like to fade, but if one of these two blink, it is more likely to be him, in my opinion. I think this game will be a bit tighter than the first two, and think that 8.5 is too high for this game. Back the under.
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