Blue Jays seize control in 6-1 Game 5 win, return to Toronto with a chance to clinch first title in 32 years
Toronto powered past Los Angeles 6–1 in Game 5 behind rookie Trey Yesavage’s 12-strikeout performance, taking a 3–2 World Series lead and returning home one win away from their first championship in 32 years. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went back-to-back to open the scoring, and the Jays’ lineup once again delivered from top to bottom. Game 6 goes Friday night at Rogers Centre, with Kevin Gausman facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
LOS ANGELES -- The Toronto Blue Jays head home on the brink of history. A 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the World Series and a chance to clinch its first championship in 32 years tomorrow night at Rogers Centre.
Toronto wasted no time setting the tone at Dodger Stadium. Davis Schneider launched a leadoff home run to left, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed two pitches later with a blast of his own to make it 2-0 before most fans found their seats.
Dodgers starter Blake Snell settled in after that early shock, but rookie Trey Yesavage stole the show. The 22-year-old right-hander was electric, striking out 12 while allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings of work. Yesavage pounded the zone that generated swings and misses all night.
Los Angeles briefly cut the deficit in half when Enrique Hernández homered in the third, but Toronto answered with Daulton Varsho’s triple and Ernie Clement’s sacrifice fly to restore momentum. A four-run seventh sealed it: Addison Barger scored on a wild pitch, Bo Bichette drove in another with a line single to right, as Toronto’s lineup once again delivered from top to bottom.
Seranthony Domínguez handled the eighth inning, and Jeff Hoffman closed it out as Toronto took two straight in Southern California after dropping the 18-inning series opener at Dodger Stadium.
The series shifts north on Friday. Game 6 is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre, where Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.55 ERA) will start for Toronto opposite Los Angeles ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 1.57 ERA).
The Blue Jays have outscored the Dodgers 12-3 over the past two contests, their offense showing balance and patience through all nine spots. With momentum on their side and a city ready to erupt, Toronto has a chance on Friday to turn decades of hope into celebration.
Blue Jays even World Series 2–2 with 6–2 win at Dodger Stadium ahead of pivotal Game 5
Toronto evens the World Series at two games apiece with a 6–2 result at Dodger Stadium. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his seventh career postseason home run to flip the score, and a four-run seventh inning broke it open and sent Shohei Ohtani off the mound. Chris Bassitt handled the late innings and Louis Varland closed it down. Game 5 is tonight in Los Angeles before the series shifts to Toronto.
LOS ANGELES -- Toronto has evened the World Series at two games apiece with a 6–2 win at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but Toronto answered in the third when Nathan Lukes singled and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a two-run home run to left-center off Shohei Ohtani. It was Guerrero’s seventh career postseason home run, the most in Blue Jays history.
The turning point arrived in the seventh inning. Daulton Varsho singled to right, Ernie Clement doubled to center, and Andrés Giménez drove in a run with a single to left. Ty France grounded out to bring home another run before Bo Bichette and Addison Barger added back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 6–1 and end Ohtani’s outing.
Toronto’s bullpen closed it out cleanly. Chris Bassitt worked two innings in relief, striking out two and allowing one hit with no runs against. In the ninth, Teoscar Hernández walked and Max Muncy doubled to set up a late push. Tommy Edman grounded out to bring one run across, but Enrique Hernández struck out and Alex Call lined out to left to end it.
With the series now level, attention turns to Game 5 tonight in Los Angeles, the final stop before the series shifts to Toronto for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7. The scheduled pitching matchup features Yesavage for Toronto against Blake Snell for Los Angeles. Yesavage enters at 2–1 with a 4.26 ERA and 27 strikeouts this postseason, while Snell brings a 3–1 record with a 2.42 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
Toronto will be looking to its balanced offense to continue producing throughout the order after generating scoring from multiple spots in Game 4. Los Angeles will rely on Snell to stabilize the matchup at home before traveling to a hostile environment in Toronto, where road wins are historically harder to secure.
The stakes are direct. The winner of tonight’s meeting will fly to Canada with two chances to clinch a World Series title. The loser will enter Rogers Centre needing to win twice in a building that will not favor visiting teams. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific.