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The Toronto Blue Jays hope that their Game 7 starter won’t have to prepare for a winner-take-all game on Saturday evening. In a perfect world for manager John Schneider, Kevin Gausman will take care of business on Friday night in Game 6. However, suppose Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the job done for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. In that case, the Blue Jays will be giving the ball to two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer for Game 7, according to Blue Jays beat writer Rob Longley. Scherzer was the starting pitcher in Game 3 when the Dodgers won the epic 18-inning game. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs. Much of the damage came from two solo home runs from Teoscar Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani, but Scherzer was in control for most of the rest of the start. It’s easy to overlook Scherzer’s impact on the game, given that eight Blue Jays pitchers followed him and he exited the game nearly five hours before its conclusion. It’s moments like Game 7 that prompted the Blue Jays to bring in the veteran pitcher to start games for them this season. The staff needed that kind of presence, and Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker were fine with matching Scherzer up to start this crucial game if it came to it. Scherzer will have some backup if the Dodgers extend the series to Game 7. One pitcher to monitor is Trey Yesavage, who added to his growing October legacy by striking out every batter in the Dodgers’ order in Game 5. He went seven innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run. With the Blue Jays boasting a sometimes inconsistent lineup, it’ll likely be all hands on deck for Game 7, with starters Yesavage and former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber being available out of the team’s bullpen.
