Toronto On the Brink of Glory After Yesavage Tames Los Angeles in Game 5

Yesavage authored a masterclass on the mound and Davis Schneider launched a home run on the game's initial offering as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers six to one on Wednesday evening, moving within one victory of their first championship since 1993.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, struck out 12 without issuing a walk – setting a new World Series record. 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 earned two starting wins in the series in this championship series.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the initial throw, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and homered to left field. Immediately after, Vladimir Guerrero Jr added a second home run to nearly the same spot. It marked the first time in World Series history that the game began with two straight homers, stunning the crowd before most had taken their places.

The Pitcher's Dominance

Yesavage then took over. He fanned five in a row between the second and third innings, setting a rookie record before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a home run in the third inning to make it two to one. That was as close as Los Angeles would get.

Building the Advantage

In the fourth, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a fielding error, and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the run for a 3–1 lead. The Dodgers' bats remained quiet from there. After scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve managed only four across the past 29 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The starting pitcher lasted into the seventh inning but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases became full. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – one on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to push the lead to four runs. A eighth-inning base hit provided the final margin.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the Toronto faithful, and the pen closed it out. The relief corps 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 an attempt to generate runs, again couldn't find momentum. Their star slugger went without a hit in four trips and is now hitless in seven at-bats since reaching base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

On the Verge of a Championship

Now leading the series three games to two, Toronto return home with two chances to clinch. Game 6 is Friday night at their home field.

Jacob Cox
Jacob Cox

A seasoned entrepreneur and startup advisor with over a decade of experience in venture capital and business development.