LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have set a date for Shohei Ohtani’s first World Series start -- Game 4 on Tuesday -- and they’ve set the rest of their rotation through Game 4 as well.
Hours before Yoshinobu Yamamoto went the distance for the second straight start on Saturday night at Rogers Centre, manager Dave Roberts announced that Tyler Glasnow would get the ball for Game 3 on Monday at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani is set to follow Glasnow in Game 4 on Tuesday, Roberts said.
With the Series tied 1-1, Glasnow and Ohtani have the opportunity to keep the momentum on the Dodgers' side and close in on defending their title.
"You have to play each game for what it is and not think about the future, like, three games from now," Glasnow said Sunday. "I think it's just tomorrow. We're worried about Game 3. Just execute, do what you can tomorrow, and then don't worry about anything else until you have to play those games."
It’s the same rotation the Dodgers used for their National League Championship Series sweep of the Brewers. The alignment would allow all four starters to pitch on the rest they're accustomed to.
Blake Snell has four days off between Games 1 and 5. The same goes for Glasnow between Games 3 and 7. With both of the Series’ off-days between his starts, Yamamoto would have five days between Games 2 and 6, leaving Ohtani to make his start in Game 4. It’s then possible that he would be available in relief should the series go the distance.
Of course, in Ohtani’s last start, he struck out 10 Brewers over six-plus scoreless innings while launching three home runs in the pennant clincher. It was one of the greatest performances by any player on a baseball field ever -- especially considering the stage.
There’s only one stage bigger: the World Series. Saturday marked Ohtani’s seventh World Series game. But he has yet to pitch in any of them after spending last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
"Yoshi navigated that [Toronto] lineup really well," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "You have to really have good stuff to be able to put up good results. So for myself, I'm just trying to put myself in the best position to be able to make sure that I can navigate and put up good results."
The Blue Jays’ loaded starting lineup has already proven a tougher challenge than any of Los Angeles’ opponents in the postseason. Toronto chased Snell after five-plus innings on Friday in an 11-4 victory, though Yamamoto kept the Blue Jays in line with his complete-game gem in Saturday's 5-1 win.
It’s entirely possible that the decisive matchup of the World Series will be the Blue Jays’ relentless offense against the Dodgers’ quartet of aces. Even with Snell’s Game 1 dud, Dodgers starters have posted a 1.84 ERA in 12 games this postseason, averaging more than 6 1/3 innings per start.
The Dodgers had to vanquish another pesky offense in the Brewers, sweeping them in four games in the NLCS while allowing only four total runs. While the similarities exist, there's no one-size-fits-all approach, especially not at this stage in the postseason.
"I think it's just more about the individual game plan, and I think it's just about executing pitches," Glasnow said. "And if you execute pitches, regardless of the right one or the wrong one, I think it usually works out for you."