Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays: August 20-22
Some of the most interesting matchups in a given season are the ones played between teams that rarely see each other. You’ll find that multiple matchups I go on to mention are between the Dodgers and AL East pennant chasers.
What you may not know is why.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays last faced each other in May of 2016, where the Dodgers won two out of three of the games at Rogers Center. After the Jays took game 1, Kershaw outdueled R.A. Dickey for game 2, and then rallied late to win game 3 and take the series win.
Since then, both teams have had varying levels of postseason success. The Dodgers won (at least) two division titles and one pennant, and the Jays won the 2016 AL Wild Card, eventually losing to the dominant Cleveland Indians in the ALCS.
The Blue Jays find themselves in a crossroads spot this winter where they could jettison a few players and end up in a rebuild cycle along with the free agents upcoming, or they could use the financial space they currently have to really go for it in 2019. That makes the matchup all the more exciting.
This series is important for two reasons. The first one is because it takes place right in the middle of the 2019 pennant race, something both teams could find themselves in. The second reason is that, simply, it’s fun. This is going to be a fun series to watch in LA, and it’s going to be meaningful for both teams involved.