TORONTO — Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. This matchup marks a significant moment in Ohtani's career as he showcases his skills in the sport's most critical game.

The decision to start Ohtani rather than use him in relief aligns with a rule implemented in the 2022 season. This rule allows pitchers who start in the batting order to remain in the game as designated hitters after leaving the mound. If Ohtani were to start only as a designated hitter and then pitch, the Dodgers would lose their designated hitter position, forcing pitchers to bat if Ohtani were relieved. Ohtani has never pitched in relief during his Major League Baseball career, although he did make a few relief appearances in Japan in 2013.

In the World Series, Ohtani has been performing well at the plate, batting .318 with three home runs, five RBIs, and eight walks. However, he has struggled on the mound, holding an 0-1 record with a 6.00 ERA after his Game 4 start, where he struck out six batters and walked one while throwing 93 pitches.

Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him only the fourth pitcher in history to start multiple winner-take-all Game 7s in the World Series. Previous pitchers to achieve this include Bob Gibson, Lew Burdette, and Don Larsen. Scherzer, a 41-year-old right-hander and three-time Cy Young Award winner, previously started in the last World Series Game 7 in 2019, where he earned a win after pitching five innings against the Houston Astros.

In his most recent outing in Game 3 of this series, Scherzer allowed three runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings. The Dodgers won that game in a marathon 18 innings, with Ohtani contributing to the offense.

As both teams prepare for this decisive game, the Dodgers aim for back-to-back championships, while the Blue Jays seek to end a 31-year World Series title drought in front of their home crowd. The stakes are high as the season's fate rests on this final game.