Blue Jays On the Brink of Victory After Rookie Phenom Tames Dodgers in Fifth Match

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 evening, standing one win away of their first championship since the 1993 season.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, fanned a dozen batters without a single walk – achieving a historic World Series first. The first-year pitcher 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 seven-game set.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the game's opening offering, 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 almost the exact same place. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that the game began with two straight homers, leaving the audience in awe before most had settled in.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then took over. He retired five straight via strikeout between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before Hernández ended the run with a solo homer in the bottom of the third to make it two to one. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field 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 scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve managed only four across the past 29 innings.

Seventh-Inning Rally

The Dodgers starter battled through six and two-thirds innings but exited in the seventh after the bases were packed. The two inherited runners scored – one on a wild pitch and the other on a run-scoring hit – to make it 5–1. A single in the eighth provided the last run.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the traveling fans, and the bullpen did the rest. The relief corps each pitched an inning without allowing a run to close it out, recording three strikeouts together while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again struggled to get going. Their key batter went hitless in four at-bats and is now without a hit in his last seven appearances since reaching base a World Series-record nine times in the third game.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two opportunities to win it all. The sixth game is set for Friday at Rogers Centre.