Blue Jays On the Brink of Glory After Rookie Phenom Dominates Los Angeles in Game 5

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 6–1 on Wednesday evening, moving within one victory of their first championship since the 1993 season.

A Rookie's Record-Setting Night

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who made his major league debut 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.

A Quick Start for Toronto

Toronto’s hitters jumped out to a fast lead. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider drilled a 97-mile-per-hour heater and drove it over the left-field wall. Just moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to a similar location. It marked the first time in World Series history that consecutive home runs opened a game, stunning the crowd before most had settled in.

The Pitcher's Dominance

Yesavage then went to work. 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 solo homer in the third inning to make it 2–1. That was the nearest the Dodgers came.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth inning, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a defensive mistake, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to bring him home for a 3–1 lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened 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 battled through six and two-thirds innings but was chased in the seventh after the bases were packed. Both runners he left behind came around to score – thanks to a errant throw and one more on a base hit – to make it 5–1. A eighth-inning base hit provided the final margin.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Blue Jays supporters, and the bullpen did the rest. The relief corps each pitched an inning without allowing a run to end the game, recording three strikeouts together while maintaining the stellar start.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again found little traction. Their star slugger went 0-for-4 and is now hitless in seven at-bats since reaching base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two chances to clinch. The sixth game is set for Friday at Rogers Centre.

Janice Jones
Janice Jones

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