Toronto One Step Away of Victory After Yesavage Tames Dodgers in Fifth Match
Trey Yesavage turned in a legendary performance and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers six to one on Wednesday, standing one win away of their first championship since the 1993 season.
A Rookie's Record-Setting Night
The young Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September, fanned a dozen batters without a single walk – achieving a historic World Series first. The first-year pitcher 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 seven-game set.
Early Offensive Explosion
Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider turned on a 97mph fastball and drove it over the left-field wall. Immediately after, Vladimir Guerrero Jr homered as well to a similar location. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that the game began with two straight homers, shocking the spectators before most had settled in.
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 the streak was snapped by Kiké Hernández with a solo shot in the bottom of the third to make it two to one. That was the nearest the Dodgers came.
Building the Advantage
In the fourth, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a misplay, and Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to score him for a three to one lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened from there. After managing six runs in a lengthy extra-inning contest, 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 couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases were packed. The two inherited runners scored – thanks to a errant throw and the other on a run-scoring hit – to make it 5–1. A eighth-inning base hit provided the final margin.
Bullpen Secures the Win
Yesavage was cheered off the field from the Toronto faithful, and the bullpen did the rest. The late-inning pitchers each worked a scoreless inning to close it out, recording three strikeouts together while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece.
Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters
The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in search of a spark, again found little traction. Their star slugger went 0-for-4 and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since a record-setting on-base performance in the third game.
On the Verge of a Championship
Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two chances to clinch. Friday evening features Game 6 at Toronto's ballpark.