Shohei Ohtani’s flight to Toronto has landed, with the Los Angeles Dodgers set to face the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in Game 1 of the World Series. With first pitch closing in, we’re attempting to predict what happens at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Let’s immediately dive into our predictions for Game 1 of the World Series.
Blake Snell Throws 7 Innings of One-Run Ball
When we last saw Blake Snell on the mound for the Dodgers, he threw 103 pitches in eight shutout innings with only one hit allowed and 10 strikeouts versus the Milwaukee Brewers. He now hasn’t allowed a single run in his last two postseason starts, surrendering just two hits with 19 strikeouts in 14 innings. We’ll see that stretch of dominance continue in Game 1 of the World Series. Walks (three) will be more of an issue for Snell, with one of his three hits allowed resulting in a run scoring. That’ll be the only damage he surrenders, giving the Dodgers’ bullpen a lead with just six outs needed.
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Teoscar Hernandez Takes Trey Yesavage Deep in Return
No one in the Dodgers lineup has faced Blue Jays’ rookie Trey Yesavage before. However, the 22-year-old righty has surrendered 10 hits and 6 walks in his last two postseason starts, allowing one home run in each game. It’s also worth recognizing that this is a return to Toronto for Teoscar Hernandez, who has hit 52 home runs with 50 doubles at the Rogers Centre in his major-league career. In his return to Toronto, Hernandez will take Yesavage deep for a go-ahead home run early in the game.
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Shohei Ohtani Collects 2 Hits, 2 RBI and Steals a Base
In his first nine postseasn games this October, Shohei Ohtani managed just a .158/.273/.368 triple-slash line with a .641 OPS in 44 plate appearances. The three-homer game felt like what every other team feared would happen in the playoffs, Ohtani locked back in and got hot. We don’t see him making it four home runs in his last two games on Friday night, but he’ll still deliver critical production to the Dodgers lineup. Ohtani will collect two hits, including an RBI double to pad the Dodgers’ lead. He’ll also steal a base on Alejandro Kirk, who has stopped just 17 percent of stolen base attempts this season.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Win World Series Game 1
Thanks to strong performances from both Snell and the Dodgers lineup, Dave Roberts will hand it over to his bullpen with a 5-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Treating it like a must-win game, Roberts will take no chances even with a four-run lead. Emmet Sheehan comes in for the eighth, allowing just one baserunner (a one-out single) before retiring the next two batters. Then, Roki Sasaki takes over in the ninth in a non-save situation and shuts the door with a pair of strikeouts. Los Angeles wins Game 1 by a 5-1 final.
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