🔗 Share this article

Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Blue Jays topped the Los Angeles Dodgers six to one 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 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 started and won two of Toronto’s three victories in this best-of-seven series.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the initial throw, Schneider drilled a 97-mile-per-hour heater and sent it over the left-field fence. Just moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to almost the exact same place. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that back-to-back homers started a game, stunning the crowd before most had found their seats.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then went to work. He fanned five in a row between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a home run in the bottom of the third to make it 2–1. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth inning, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a defensive mistake, and Ernie Clement hit a sac 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 produced just four runs in their last 29 innings.

Seventh-Inning Rally

The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but exited in the seventh after the bases became full. The two inherited runners scored – via a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to push the lead to four runs. A hit in the eighth provided the concluding score.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Toronto faithful, and the bullpen did the rest. The relief corps each tossed a shutout frame to close it out, recording three strikeouts together while maintaining the stellar start.

Offensive Woes Continue

The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in hopes of igniting the offense, again couldn't find momentum. Their star slugger went without a hit in four trips and is now hitless in seven at-bats since setting a World Series on-base record in the third game.

On the Verge of a Championship

Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto go back to their own stadium with two games to secure the title. The sixth game is set for Friday at their home field.