Blue Jays One Step Away of Victory After Rookie Phenom Dominates Los Angeles in Game 5

Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Dodgers six to one on Wednesday evening, moving within one victory of their first championship since the 1993 season.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The young Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – the first pitcher in World Series history to do so. The rookie right-hander gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. He started the season in Class A before sparse crowds, but has now been the winning pitcher in two of Toronto's three wins in this best-of-seven series.

A Quick Start for Toronto

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the initial throw, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and homered to left field. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr added a second home run to nearly the same spot. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that the game began with two straight homers, leaving the audience in awe 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, establishing a new rookie mark before Hernández ended the run with a solo shot in the bottom of the third 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 fielding error, and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the run for a three to one lead. The Los Angeles offense continued to sputter 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 exited in the seventh after the bases became full. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – one on a wild pitch and the other on a run-scoring hit – to make it 5–1. A single in the eighth provided the concluding score.

Bullpen Secures the Win

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the Blue Jays supporters, and the relievers finished the job. The bullpen arms each worked a scoreless inning to secure the victory, combining for three strikeouts while protecting the rookie's gem.

Offensive Woes Continue

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again couldn't find momentum. Their star slugger went hitless in four at-bats and is now hitless in seven at-bats since setting a World Series on-base record in Game 3.

On the Verge of a Championship

Now leading the series three games to two, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two games to secure the title. Game 6 is Friday night at Rogers Centre.

Kelly Bennett
Kelly Bennett

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in writing about video games and digital trends.