Schedule Makers Blessed Us With A World Series Rematch

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays, 7:07 ET

It is hard to say that there are big series in April for the MLB, but this is a big series. You don't always get to see a World Series rematch this early in the year. Does this have a major impact on playoffs or anything? Of course not. However, you have to imagine the teams are both expecting this to be an intense and emotional series. I can't say that I blame them as one team's last visit here ended in celebration, and the other's season ended in tears. Tonight we have Game 1 of the Dodgers and Blue Jays. 

The Dodgers are off to a great start, just as you'd expect from a team that gets every big free agent and has unlimited funds. There are some areas of concern for the team, as usual. Their pitching staff hasn't been quite as dominant as you'd expect, but the reality is that they should be fine. I've said this many times already about them, but the Dodgers don't care about the regular season. Their goal is to have four or five healthy starters when the Playoffs begin this year. If they have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, great. However, if they don't they will manage. Los Angeles is 7-2 to start the season, having swept both the Diamondbacks and Nationals, but losing two of three to the Guardians. Justin Wrobleski is going to take the hill tonight. This is his second start of the season. Wrobleski threw four innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits. He saw plenty of action against the Blue Jays in the World Series last year, going five innings, allowing four hits, and six strikeouts. Overall, the team is 5-for-20 against him. 

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Blue Jays are coming into this series in need of a win. As if they needed any extra motivation, the team has dropped four straight games after starting the year 4-1. The worst part of it is that they lost all four of those games to the lowly White Sox. They dropped two games in extra innings in back-to-back games to the Rockies and White Sox. For a team that could've realistically started with a 9-0 record, this has been a bad result with them going 4-5. Maybe they were thinking too much about this series and getting a bit of revenge. Who knows? What I do know is that they need to get it together and stop the bleeding. They get a veteran presence on the mound who is familiar with doing that. Max Scherzer takes the ball for Toronto. Despite being 41, Scherzer looked great in his season debut, going six innings allowing just one solo homer on four hits. He had two starts in the World Series and allowed four earned runs over 8.2 innings for Toronto. They lost both of those games in extra innings, including the infamous Game 7 that Scherzer started. Overall, Dodgers hitters are 38-for-174 against Scherzer with only Shohei Ohtani really excelling against him. 

I have to imagine this is a game that just means more to Toronto than Los Angeles. That doesn't mean the Dodgers won't win the game, but I expect Scherzer to be locked in, and I think the team knows the importance of stopping this losing streak. Now that the team is back home, the fans are probably also going to be hyped for the game. Give me the Blue Jays to win this one. If you want it to be a bit safer, a first five moneyline look on the Blue Jays is probably a safer bet. 

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