Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage will get the beginning when the Blue Jays open the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at Rogers Centre.
Yesavage is 2-1 with a 4.20 earned-run average and 22 strikeouts in three post-season starts.
The fitting-hander dominated the Latest York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, striking out 11 in 5 1/3 no-hit innings.
After struggling in a loss to Seattle in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series, he rebounded with a win in Game 6 with the Blue Jays facing elimination.
“It’s something I never even would have dreamed of,” Yesavage said Thursday at a media availability. “But I’m here now and I’m embracing it fully.”
Left-hander Blake Snell will start for the Dodgers. He has been dominant with a 3-0 record, 0.86 ERA and 28 strikeouts in three playoff appearances.
The Blue Jays are within the MLB championship for the primary time since winning a second straight title in 1993. The Dodgers are the defending champions.
Each teams were expected to call their 26-player rosters on Friday morning.
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The status of shortstop Bo Bichette, who has missed over six weeks with a knee sprain, remained uncertain on the eve of the best-of-seven series.
“He’s feeling good, which is good,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “Still a couple of more boxes to ascertain.”
The Blue Jays finished the regular season with a 94-68 record, giving them home-field advantage over the Dodgers (93-69).
Los Angeles swept the Cincinnati Reds in a two-game NL wild-card series before topping the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 within the NLDS. That was followed by a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers within the NLCS.
Led by two-way superstar and NLCS MVP Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have a stacked lineup that features Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and former Blue Jays slugger Teoscar Hernandez.
“There’s a reason we’re here and there’s a reason they’re there,” Schneider said. “I feel the one thing we cannot do is look over there and say that’s Goliath.
“That may be a beatable baseball team that has its flaws, and that has its really, really good strengths.”
ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads a Blue Jays team that can provide opponents matches by putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. Guerrero is hitting .442 within the post-season with six homers, 12 RBIs and a 1.440 OPS.
The Blue Jays have used a balanced offensive attack — anchored by Guerrero, George Springer and Alejandro Kirk — to overwhelm opponents.
Toronto is tied for the MLB lead with 20 home runs within the playoffs and leads all teams with a .296 overall batting average and .878 OPS.
“I’ll put this group of 26 up against anybody,” Schneider said of his team. “And so they’re looking forward to taking up what’s on paper the very best team in baseball, that’s playing rather well without delay.
“And I don’t think they’d have it some other way.”
Each teams were expected to carry workouts later Thursday at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays were expected to call their Game 2 starter later within the day, with right-hander Kevin Gausman anticipated to get the nod. The Dodgers will go together with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 1.83).
After an off-day Sunday, the series will shift to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Tuesday.
Los Angeles is attempting to turn into the primary repeat champion for the reason that Yankees won three straight titles from 1998-2000. The Dodgers have won the Fall Classic eight times.
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