Toronto One Step Away of Glory After Rookie Phenom Tames Dodgers in Game 5

Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday, moving within one victory of their first title since 1993.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September, fanned a dozen batters without a single walk – achieving a historic World Series first. The first-year pitcher allowed one run on three hits across seven innings. He started the season in Class A before sparse crowds, 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 jumped out to a fast lead. On the game's opening offering, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to nearly the same spot. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that back-to-back homers started a game, shocking the spectators before most had taken their places.

The Pitcher's Dominance

Yesavage then assumed command. He fanned five in a row between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before Hernández ended the run with a solo shot 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, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a fielding error, and Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to score him for a 3–1 lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened from there. After scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve managed only four across the past 29 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases became full. The two inherited runners scored – one on a wild pitch and one more on a base hit – to extend the lead to 5–1. A single in the eighth provided the concluding score.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage was cheered off the field from the Blue Jays supporters, and the bullpen did the rest. The late-inning pitchers each tossed a shutout frame to secure the victory, fanning three batters collectively while maintaining the stellar start.

Offensive Woes Continue

The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in hopes of igniting the offense, again found little traction. Their star slugger went without a hit in four trips and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since setting a World Series on-base record in Game 3.

On the Verge of a Championship

Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto return home with two opportunities to win it all. The sixth game is set for Friday at Toronto's ballpark.

Ryan Freeman
Ryan Freeman

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