Blue Jays vs Dodgers Game 7: start time, pitching matchup, and the swing factors in a winner-take-all at Rogers Centre

It all comes down to one night in Toronto. After a taut 3–1 finish in Game 6 kept the season alive, the World Series shifts into a decisive Game 7 with the Blue Jays hosting the Dodgers at a roaring Rogers Centre. Expect urgency from pitch one, aggressive bullpen hooks, and zero saving bullets for tomorrow.

When is Blue Jays vs Dodgers Game 7?

• Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025

• First pitch: 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT)

• Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto

• How to watch/listen: National television in the U.S. and Canada, plus national radio; authenticated streaming via participating providers. Local blackout rules may apply.

The marquee duel: Shohei Ohtani vs Max Scherzer

Two future Hall of Fame résumés headline the final: Shohei Ohtani starts for Los Angeles, Max Scherzer for Toronto. Ohtani’s mix—upper-90s four-seam, splitter vanishing under barrels, and a slider to finish—faces a lineup that has thrived this postseason by punishing mistakes in plus counts. Scherzer, making the second World Series Game 7 start of his career, leans on elevated heaters and a biting slider/changeup combination; his early fastball life often predicts his night.

Both managers have short leashes in a Game 7. Expect piggyback plans, one-time-through roles, and elite relievers on call as early as the fourth.

How we got here: the Game 6 hinge points

Los Angeles forced tonight’s decider with a 3–1 win, backed by a composed start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a third-inning surge keyed by Will Smith and Mookie Betts. The final sequence was chaos: a would-be tying extra-base hit became a ground-rule double, and a game-ending left-field-to-second double play—one for the postseason oddity books—snuffed Toronto’s rally. The Jays still created traffic late, which shapes their Game 7 confidence: replicate the pressure, cash one more swing.

Lineup and usage notes to track

• Dodgers approach: Betts atop the order sets the table for Freddie Freeman and Ohtani’s spot; expect early DHO/ghost-screen looks to free the leadoff man and short-roll reads for the middle. Miguel Rojas has stabilized the infield defense and turned long innings into outs.

• Blue Jays approach: Middle-order thunder surrounds disciplined bats that have excelled at spoiling two-strike pitches. Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho have toggled between power and table-setting, and Toronto will hunt fastballs early in counts after seeing heavy spin in Game 6.

Bullpen chessboard in a Game 7

• Los Angeles: Short-rest starters are available for bridge duty; late leverage could feature multiple right-on-right matchups and a quick hook if traffic builds. Directional fastballs up and away have been their escape hatch.

• Toronto: Power righties and a swingman lefty give matchup flexibility. After the late Game 6 scare, plan on quicker mound visits and willingness to trade a walk for avoiding a center-cut mistake.

Translation: If either starter labors the second time through, the phone rings—no hesitation.

Three swing factors that could decide it

1. First-pitch strike win rate
   The team that owns strike one has consistently controlled innings in this series. Ohtani’s splitter plays best from ahead; Scherzer’s slider is a chase pitch after strike one.

2. Contact quality on mistake heaters
   Both lineups have punished belt-high fastballs. Watch exit velocity on center-cut heaters; two or three loud swings can define a Game 7.

3. Defense under stress
   Game 6 turned on gloves and a perfectly aggressive throw. In a dome where tracking can be tricky on liners, outfield reads and relay precision are championship currency.

Micro-matchups to watch

• Betts vs. elevated four-seamers: If he resists the chase above the letters, Los Angeles’ on-base engine ignites.

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs. sliders starting in: Toronto’s star feasts when he keeps the front shoulder closed; chase discipline here swings at-bats.

• Running game vs. veteran batteries: Marginal edges—first moves, dirt-ball reads—can flip a single into a scoring position without a hit.

Managing the middle innings

The fourth through seventh are the murky waters of a Game 7. Watch for:

• Pinch-hit triggers the first time a starter faces a tough opposite-hand bat in the sixth.

• Infield in/out decisions on one-out runners at third—run-prevention vs. big-inning risk.

• Two-out walks that turn the lineup; both clubs have cashed these all series.

What history whispers (and what tonight ignores)

Teams that win Game 6 to force a Game 7 often carry momentum, but winner-take-all nights are decided by execution, not vibes. Home teams in elimination games are barely over .500 all-time; noise helps until a single pitch quiets it. In short: lean arms, make plays, and survive the first haymaker.

Blue Jays vs Dodgers, Game 7 is exactly what October promises: aces with résumés, lineups that can change a night with one swing, and managers ready to use every lever. The calendar flips at midnight either way—but the inning-by-inning choices in Toronto will get talked about for years.