History says teams that have tied the World Series 1-1 on home field have gone on to clinch the title more than half the time. The Toronto Blue Jays, though, are in for some uphill tasks to join the majority. They are looking at three games, three consecutive days, and on the road against the league’s best pitchers. That just might not be their strongest suit.

The Blue Jays have gone 40-41 in away games, while the Dodgers have thrived 52-29 in Dodger Stadium. Couple that with the pitching rotation that has seen north of a billion-dollar investment, and you have Freddie Freeman believe there might not be Game 6 at all.

“That’s our hope,” he said after USA Today asked him about the possibility of the Dodgers winning it all at home. And there’s some merit to that.

In the 10 postseason games, the Dodgers’ pitchers posted a combined earned-run average of 1.40. For the highlight, though, they recorded a 0.63 ERA against the Brewers in the NLCS. Now, the Blue Jays have the best offense in the league, averaging 6.8 runs per game with a .900 OPS. They have worn out the pitchers time and again, including Blake Snell in Game 1. But the following showdown proved they might not have all the answers.

Toronto manager John Schneider says the team came prepared to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he was just too skilled to get past. “He was on his game,” Schneider admitted as the Dodgers’ pitcher became the first to throw two complete games in a row in the postseason since Curt Schilling in 2001, and the first to end a World Series game by retiring 20 straight batters since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956.

What added to Yamamoto’s advantage was that the Blue Jays hadn’t faced him at all this regular season to build familiarity. That also happens to be the case against the Dodgers’ next two starting pitchers.

Tyler Glasnow, who will be starting Game 3, has pitched once against Toronto this season, while Shohei Ohtani, who will take over Game 4, hasn’t started against them since 2022. To add to it, the 3x MVP tossed six scoreless innings while racking up 10 strikeouts in his previous game against the Brewers.

It is going to be an obvious challenge for Toronto. But they could capitalize on LA’s not-so-efficient offense. Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freeman have combined for a mere 34-for-142 this postseason, while going 4-for-21 with 2 RBIs in the World Series. Additionally, the Dodgers’ bullpen woes are no secret. Toronto has pounced on them after forcing out Snell in Game 1 for an 11-4 victory, and they can do it again.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. & Co. are marching with dominant hitters, a slightly taxed bullpen, and a veteran starter carrying hopes for Game 3.

Blue Jays count on Max Scherzer’s World Series pedigree

In Game 3, Max Scherzer, 41 years old, takes the mound for Toronto. In 2012, he started for Detroit against San Francisco. In 2019, he had two important games for Washington during their championship run, then in 2023, he helped Texas win the title. Now Toronto relies on him.

He has played for four teams and been to four World Series, but his record is only 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA and 19 strikeouts in those games.

“This is what you play for, to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it,” Scherzer told the Associated Press. “You just think about, throughout your whole life, all the different things that have unfolded. Just so fortunate to have another crack at this,” he emphasized. “There are so many great players that have never gotten to a World Series, so many great players where they only have one World Series.”

Scherzer knows what’s at stake. Toronto is behind in momentum, if not the score, because they have to play three games in a row at Dodger Stadium. The veteran right-hander is their best chance to change the story, and possibly avoid meeting Yamamoto in Toronto again for Game 6.