Toronto On the Brink of Glory After Yesavage Dominates Dodgers in Fifth Match

Trey Yesavage turned in a legendary performance and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers six to one on Wednesday evening, moving within one victory of their first championship since 1993.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The young Yesavage, who only reached the big leagues in September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – achieving a historic World Series first. The first-year pitcher gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. He began the year pitching before a few hundred fans in Class A ball, but has now started and won two of Toronto’s three victories in this best-of-seven series.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters gave him breathing room almost immediately. On the game's opening offering, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and drove it over the left-field wall. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr homered as well to almost the exact same place. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that back-to-back homers started a game, shocking the spectators before most had settled in.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then assumed command. He struck out five consecutive batters between the second and third innings, setting a rookie record before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a solo homer in the third inning to make it two to one. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Building the Advantage

In the fourth, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a defensive mistake, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to plate the run for a 3–1 lead. The Dodgers' bats remained quiet from there. After scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The starting pitcher lasted into the seventh inning but was chased 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 the other on a run-scoring hit – to extend the lead to 5–1. A hit in the eighth provided the last run.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the Blue Jays supporters, and the bullpen did the rest. The relief corps each worked a scoreless inning to secure the victory, combining for three strikeouts while maintaining the stellar start.

Offensive Woes Continue

The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in hopes of igniting the offense, again struggled to get going. Their key batter went without a hit in four trips and is now without a hit in his last seven appearances since setting a World Series on-base record in the third game.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now leading the series three games to two, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two opportunities to win it all. Friday evening features Game 6 at their home field.

Rebecca Peters
Rebecca Peters

Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for exploring how emerging technologies shape our future.