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

Yesavage authored a masterclass on the mound and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the 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, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – achieving a historic World Series first. The rookie right-hander gave up only a single run on three hits in 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 championship series.

A Quick Start for Toronto

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider drilled a 97-mile-per-hour heater and sent it over the left-field fence. Immediately after, Vladimir Guerrero Jr added a second home run to almost the exact same place. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that the game began with two straight homers, leaving the audience in awe before most had taken their places.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then took over. He struck out five consecutive batters between the second and third innings, breaking a rookie pitching record before Hernández ended the run with a home run 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 fielding error, and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the run 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 produced just four runs in their last 29 innings.

Seventh-Inning Rally

The Dodgers starter battled through six and two-thirds innings but exited in the seventh after the Blue Jays loaded the bases. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – via a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to extend the lead to 5–1. A hit in the eighth provided the final margin.

Bullpen Secures the Win

Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Blue Jays supporters, and the pen closed it out. The late-inning pitchers each worked a scoreless inning to secure the victory, combining for three strikeouts while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece.

Offensive Woes Continue

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 without a hit in his last seven appearances since reaching base a World Series-record nine times 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 Rogers Centre.