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

Trey Yesavage turned in a legendary performance and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday, moving within one victory of their first World Series championship since 1993.

A Rookie's Record-Setting Night

The young Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, struck out 12 without issuing a walk – setting a new World Series record. 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 earned two starting wins in the series in this championship series.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters jumped out to a fast lead. On the game's opening offering, Schneider turned on a 97mph fastball and drove it over the left-field wall. Just moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr homered as well to a similar location. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that back-to-back homers started a game, leaving the audience in awe before most had found their seats.

The Pitcher's Dominance

Yesavage then took over. He fanned five in a row between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before Hernández ended the run with a solo homer in the bottom of the third to make it two to one. That was as close as Los Angeles would get.

Building the Advantage

In the fourth, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a misplay, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to bring him home for a 3–1 lead. The Los Angeles offense continued to sputter from there. After managing six runs in a lengthy extra-inning contest, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The Dodgers starter battled through six and two-thirds innings but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases became full. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – via a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to make it 5–1. A hit in the eighth provided the concluding score.

Bullpen Secures the Win

Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Toronto faithful, and the pen closed it out. The late-inning pitchers each tossed a shutout frame to close it out, fanning three batters collectively while maintaining the stellar start.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in search of a spark, again couldn't find momentum. Their top hitter went 0-for-4 and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since setting a World Series on-base record in the third game.

On the Verge of a Championship

Now leading the series three games to two, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two chances to clinch. The sixth game is set for Friday at Toronto's ballpark.