Blue Jays One Step Away of Victory After Yesavage Dominates Los Angeles in Game 5
Yesavage authored a masterclass on the mound and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Blue Jays beat the 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 rookie right-hander surrendered just one run on three hits over seven frames. 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 best-of-seven 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 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 fanned five in a row between the early frames, establishing a new rookie mark before Hernández ended the run with a home run in the third inning to make it 2–1. That was the nearest the Dodgers came.
Building the Advantage
In the fourth, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a fielding error, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to score him for a three to one lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened from there. After a six-run output in an 18-inning game, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.
Seventh-Inning Rally
The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases were packed. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – via a wild pitch and one more on a base hit – to push the lead to four runs. A hit in the eighth provided the final margin.
Bullpen Secures the Win
Yesavage was cheered off the field from the Toronto faithful, and the pen closed it out. The bullpen arms each tossed a shutout frame to secure the victory, fanning three batters collectively while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece.
Offensive Woes Continue
The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in search of a spark, again couldn't find momentum. Their star slugger 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 Game 3.
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 Toronto's ballpark.