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After a flight east and an off day, the World Series is back in action on Friday night with a potentially decisive Game 6. The Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to close things out on home turf with a game to spare, securing the franchise’s first title since Joe Carter’s legendary 1993 home run. In the opposite dugout, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to keep their dream of back-to-back championships alive. Those different situations played out in real-time on Thursday at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays’ optional workout consisted of little more than kids playing catch in the outfield. The Dodgers, faced with the prospect of elimination, all chose to be on the field. Is that indicative of a telling contrast in attitudes? Or is it just two different approaches from two different teams? And, in complete fairness, the Dodgers seemed pretty comfortable, as demonstrated by manager Dave Roberts’ failed foot race. But, with all of that being said, let’s get down to business and look at Game 6 of the 2025 World Series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a home run in the third inning of Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2025. Starting Pitchers, Possible Lineup Changes On the pitcher’s mound, we’ll get a second round of Game 2’s matchup, with LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking on Toronto’s Kevin Gausman. The former threw an absolute gem his last time out, throwing his second consecutive complete game and retiring the last 20 Blue Jays he faced in order. The latter more than held his own, though, allowing four hits and three runs across 6 2/3 innings before leaving as the hard-luck loser. But what will the rest of the lineups look like? The biggest question mark in Toronto’s starting unit is George Springer, who missed Games 4 and 5 with an oblique issue. He looked ready to pinch-hit in Game 5, but he never entered the fray. Ahead of Game 6, though, Blue Jays manager John Schneider suggested that his leadoff hitter could be ready for a return. “Not many, to be honest with you,” he explained when asked how many boxes Springer had left to check. “I think just making sure he feels comfortable and confident tomorrow, and not just for one at-bat, to go in and compete and kind of get locked into a game. He’s kind of checked every box physically so far, so see how tomorrow goes.” That would presumably push Bo Bichette from the DH spot to second base, aiming to keep Toronto’s biggest bats in the lineup. On the Dodgers’ side of things, Roberts has already made some tweaks to his sputtering lineup. Speaking ahead of Game 6, he didn’t rule out any further adjustments. “I might change it up a little bit,” the manager explained. “I’m contemplating, but I’m still kind of up in the air. So it could be a little bit of a change.” It’s worth noting that LA doesn’t have a Springer or Bichette-level player to come off the bench. Roberts’ options are largely limited to reshuffling his batting order or bringing someone like Alex Call, Miguel Rojas or Hyeseong Kim into the mix. Game 6’s Key Matchup When you’re in a potentially decisive game, every matchup is important, but LA’s Yamamoto will play a massive role in how Friday night unfolds. During Game 2, he neutralized the potent Toronto offense. It goes without saying that a similar performance will give the Dodgers a strong chance of holding on to win; you can’t lose the game if the other team struggles to score. Yamamoto’s role, though, looms even larger on Friday due to two additional factors. First, the LA’s bullpen has been an Achilles’ heel this postseason. With Alex Vesia unavailable for the series, there isn’t a safe path to closer Roki Sasaki. And when you factor in the Blue Jays’ plate discipline and ability to put the ball in play, it’s easy for a starter to get in trouble if he’s not on his game, which leaves the entire house of cards wobbling. It’s also worth remembering that Toronto will be playing at home with a chance to capture a historic championship. A hot offensive start will only amp up the atmosphere, but if Yamamoto can quiet the Blue Jays’ bats, nerves could set in. Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts during the eighth inning in Game 2 of the World Series on October 25, 2025. From Schneider’s perspective, though, the experience of Game 2 will only help his club. “I think it’s always easier when you actually see a guy and kind of feel what his stuff is playing like, and kind of what it does in comparison to other guys you’ve faced,” the manager said. “The delivery is a little unique, obviously, and there’s some deception there, but that’s about it. It comes down to putting together a good plan, and kind of seeing how he’s going to attack. Is it going to be the same way, which he had...
