Blue Jays On the Brink of Victory After Yesavage Tames Dodgers in Game 5

Trey Yesavage turned in a legendary performance 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 World Series championship since the 1993 season.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who only reached the big leagues in September, fanned a dozen batters without a single walk – the first pitcher in World Series history to do so. The rookie right-hander gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. He started the season in Class A before sparse crowds, but has now earned two starting wins in the series in this championship series.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider drilled a 97-mile-per-hour heater and drove it over the left-field wall. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr added a second home run to a similar location. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that back-to-back homers started a game, stunning the crowd before most had taken their places.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then went to work. He struck out five consecutive batters between the second and third innings, 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, Daulton Varsho tripled down the right-field line after a misplay, and Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to score him for a 3–1 lead. The Los Angeles offense continued to sputter from there. After a six-run output in an 18-inning game, they’ve produced just four runs in their last 29 innings.

Seventh-Inning Rally

The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but was chased in the seventh after the Blue Jays loaded the bases. Both runners he left behind came around to score – via a wild pitch and one more on a base hit – to make it 5–1. A eighth-inning base hit provided the final margin.

Bullpen Secures the Win

Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Toronto faithful, and the bullpen did the rest. The late-inning pitchers each worked a scoreless inning to end the game, combining for three strikeouts while protecting the rookie's gem.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again struggled to get going. Their star slugger went hitless in four at-bats and is now hitless in seven at-bats since reaching base a World Series-record nine times 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 Toronto's ballpark.

Stacy Hoffman
Stacy Hoffman

A passionate writer and tech enthusiast sharing insights on innovation and self-improvement.