The Toronto Blue Jays are just one victory away from ending their 32-year championship drought after a commanding 6–1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. electrified Dodger Stadium right from the start, launching back-to-back home runs off Blake Snell in the opening inning — the first time in World Series history that a team began a game with consecutive long balls. Rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage then took the spotlight, striking out 12 batters to set a new World Series record for a rookie in only his eighth major-league start.
“It’s a crazy world,” Yesavage said, smiling after his dominant performance. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.”
Schneider sent Snell’s very first pitch over the wall, and Guerrero followed moments later with his eighth postseason home run. Toronto fans seated along the first-base line erupted into chants of “Let’s Go Blue Jays,” while the team’s iconic home run jacket made its celebratory rounds in the dugout.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider praised his players’ readiness. “You have to be ready when Snell comes over the middle of the plate — Schneid was, and Vlad was. That was the spark we needed to give Trey some breathing room.”
Yesavage was nearly untouchable early on, retiring the first seven Dodgers — five by strikeout — before Kike Hernandez broke the streak with a solo homer. But Toronto quickly struck back in the fourth, when Daulton Varsho tripled and scored on an Ernie Clement sacrifice fly.
Every time the Dodgers threatened, Yesavage slammed the door. In the fourth inning, after Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch and Teoscar Hernandez followed with a single, Yesavage forced a weak pop-up to end the inning and preserve the lead.
Snell, meanwhile, labored through 6⅔ innings, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks. Yesavage, attacking with a vicious splitter, slider, and mid-90s fastball, baffled hitters across seven innings of work. He gave up only three hits, one earned run, and no walks over 104 pitches.
Right-fielder Addison Barger also made a stunning grab to rob Shohei Ohtani in the sixth inning, drawing gasps from the Dodger Stadium crowd. Toronto padded its lead with two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, drawing scattered boos from the 52,000-plus in attendance as the Blue Jays pulled away.
With George Springer sidelined by right-side discomfort, Schneider’s move to the leadoff spot paid off instantly. Relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman closed out the final two innings to secure the victory.
The defending champion Dodgers had dropped only one playoff game before facing the red-hot Blue Jays. Now, Toronto will have two chances to clinch the championship at home — starting Friday night at Rogers Centre, with a potential Game 7 on Saturday if needed.
“We’ve just got to take care of business,” said veteran pitcher Max Scherzer. “We go 1-0 every day — that’s our mindset. Play our game, stay locked in, and finish the job.”