TORONTO — Before the World Series began, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked that Louis Varland had been “in the float tank with cucumbers on his eyes getting a foot rub” after pitching in 10 of the team’s first 11 post-season games.
But once the Blue Jays took a nine-run lead in Game 1, it became apparent that they wouldn’t need to use Varland or closer Jeff Hoffman, easing the strain on relievers who have been heavily taxed this month. Both will now be available for Game 2 Saturday (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) with a maximum of one appearance apiece before the series shifts to Los Angeles.
“I mean, that’s massive,” outfielder Myles Straw said. “We’re going to need them all throughout the whole series. We have faith in every single one of those guys. They just did a great job.”
In Game 1, it was Chris Bassitt and Eric Lauer who closed things out for the Blue Jays.
“Yeah, the fact that Varland gets another day of rest after pretty much throwing every single day definitely helps us,” Bassitt said.
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The Toronto Blue Jays look to take a 2-0 lead as they chase their first World Series title in 32 years against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Watch Game 2 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Though he’s a starter by trade, Bassitt said he’s available to pitch in all seven World Series games if needed. The likes of Fluharty and Seranthony Dominguez haven’t quite pitched that much, but with eight appearances apiece they’re among the MLB leaders.
Of course, no one has pitched more often than Varland, whose 11th appearance of the post-season may well come in Game 2 after a rare breather.
“Louis is a unique guy. He’s not going to back down from a challenge,” Schneider said before Game 1. “These off days have been good for him. He hasn’t gotten off the mound, I can tell you that. (But) he’ll be ready to go.”
Imitation game
Davis Schneider likes to imitate other hitters. Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton — he’s tried every one of their stances. Even left-handed hitters like Bryce Harper get the Schneider treatment if he’s feeling inspired.
It’s fun for him, and it works — part of the process for a player who estimates he uses somewhere between 20 and 25 different stances in the course of a season. His thinking: if a setup works for one of the game’s elite hitters, maybe it’ll help him, too.
As it so happens, one of the stances Schneider likes to mimic belongs to Dodgers catcher Will Smith, one of his adversaries in the World Series.
During the summer, when the Blue Jays visited the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Schneider wasn’t quite ready to break out the stance in games. Yet as the World Series approached, Schneider resolved to use the stance even if he didn’t know Smith personally beyond a brief hello here or there.
“I wonder if he’ll notice,” Schneider thought.
Little did Schneider know, Smith had already picked up on the similarities between the two of them. While watching the Blue Jays play the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS, a friend of Smith’s pointed out ‘Hey, he kind of looks like you.’
When informed that the similarity was no coincidence, Smith was unsurprised. After all, the three-time all-star has taken his own cues from hitters like Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in years past.
“Everyone’s got their own style,” Smith said. “But you always take an idea or concept that you see from somebody else, so it’s not surprising that guys are feeding off each other to find success.”
In three at-bats Friday in his World Series debut, Schneider was hitless. But Addison Barger hit for him in the sixth inning — and with a swing few in the game could replicate, he broke open the Blue Jays’ lead with the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history.
“He’s built for the moment,” Schneider said. “He’s clutch. I’m happy for him.”
Flu game
Back in August, when Mason Fluharty struck out Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded for the first and only save of his MLB career, the win allowed the Blue Jays avoid a sweep in Los Angeles. What wasn’t yet apparent: the Blue Jays would end the season with 94 wins, one more than the Dodgers’ total of 93 and just enough to secure home-field advantage in the World Series.
So it was at Rogers Centre instead of Dodger Stadium that Fluharty faced Ohtani next. This time the bases were empty rather than full, but the leverage was still extremely high when Ohtani stepped in to lead off the fifth with the game tied 2-2. And thanks to that weekend in August, Fluharty had an idea of how to approach the two-way star.
“I remember that moment. I know what I did to him and what worked,” Fluharty said Thursday. “I understand how I’m gonna attack him based off of that. It comes down to executing pitches.”
Safe to say Fluharty did just that, as a sweeper froze Ohtani for another big strikeout. After allowing a single to Mookie Betts, Fluharty induced a fly-ball out from Freddie Freeman, reinforcing his status as a trusted lefty arm for the Blue Jays.
And looking back at that moment in August, Fluharty appreciates that his efforts then are allowing the Blue Jays to begin the World Series with the support of their home crowd.
“Wow, every single game actually did matter,” Fluharty said. “If we lost one of those other games, it’s a whole different story. No days off.”
