Blue Jays On the Brink of Glory After Rookie Phenom Dominates Los Angeles in Fifth Match
Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Blue Jays topped the Dodgers six to one on Wednesday evening, standing one win away of their first World Series championship since the 1993 season.
Yesavage's Historic Outing
The 22-year-old Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – achieving a historic World Series first. The rookie right-hander surrendered just one run on three hits over seven frames. He began the year pitching before a few hundred fans in Class A ball, but has now been the winning pitcher in two of Toronto's three wins in this championship series.
A Quick Start for Toronto
Toronto’s hitters gave him breathing room almost immediately. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider turned on a 97mph fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. Just moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to a similar location. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that the game began with two straight homers, stunning the crowd before most had settled in.
The Pitcher's Dominance
Yesavage then assumed command. He retired five straight via strikeout between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before Hernández ended the run with a home run in the bottom of the third to make it 2–1. That was the nearest the Dodgers came.
Building the Advantage
In the fourth inning, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a fielding error, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to bring him home for a 3–1 lead. The Los Angeles offense continued to sputter from there. After managing six runs in a lengthy extra-inning contest, they’ve produced just four runs in their last 29 innings.
Late Inning Insurance
The Dodgers starter lasted into the seventh inning but exited in the seventh after the Blue Jays loaded the bases. Both runners he left behind came around to score – one on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to make it 5–1. A single in the eighth provided the final margin.
Relievers Seal the Deal
Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the traveling fans, and the bullpen did the rest. The late-inning pitchers each tossed a shutout frame to close it out, fanning three batters collectively while maintaining the stellar start.
Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters
The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in hopes of igniting the offense, again struggled to get going. Their key batter went 0-for-4 and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since a record-setting on-base performance in the third game.
On the Verge of a Championship
Now up 3–2, Toronto return home with two games to secure the title. The sixth game is set for Friday at Rogers Centre.