Toronto On the Brink of Victory After Rookie Phenom Dominates Dodgers in Game 5

Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday evening, 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, struck out 12 without issuing a walk – achieving a historic World Series first. The rookie right-hander allowed one run on three hits across seven innings. 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 jumped out to a fast lead. On the initial throw, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. Immediately after, Vladimir Guerrero Jr homered as well to a similar location. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that consecutive home runs opened a game, stunning the crowd before most had settled in.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then went to work. He fanned five in a row 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 two to one. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth inning, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a misplay, and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to bring him home 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 scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases became full. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – one on a wild pitch and the other on a run-scoring 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 traveling fans, and the pen closed it out. The late-inning pitchers each worked a scoreless inning to secure the victory, recording three strikeouts together while protecting the rookie's gem.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who adjusted their lineup in hopes of igniting the offense, again found little traction. Their key batter went hitless in four at-bats 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 games to secure the title. Friday evening features Game 6 at Rogers Centre.

Danielle Ochoa
Danielle Ochoa

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