The Los Angeles Dodgers face a historical disadvantage in the 2025 World Series, regardless of whether the Seattle Mariners or Toronto Blue Jays win Game 7 of the ALCS. Since 2000, pitchers working on extra rest after sweeping their LCS looked rusty, not rested, in the World Series (although Shohei Ohtani bucked that trend in last week’s NLCS). World Series pitchers advancing after their teams won Game 7 of an LCS, meanwhile, looked like their routines kept them rolling along. The matchup has happened three times in the last 25 World Series. Each time, the difference in pitching was stark: In 2006, St. Louis held Detroit to 11 runs in five games. They scored 22. In 2007, Boston held Colorado to 10 runs in four games. They scored 29. In 2012, San Francisco held Detroit to six runs in four games. They scored 16. Starting pitchers led the way each time. Of those 13 games, seven saw the losing team score two runs or fewer. Those starters: Jeff Weaver, Chris Carpenter and Anthony Reyes in 2006; Josh Beckett and
