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.
Dodgers beat Blue Jays 5–1 as Yamamoto goes the distance in Game Two of the World Series
TORONTO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a complete game and Will Smith drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5–1 in Game Two of the World Series at Rogers Centre. Alejandro Kirk supplied Toronto’s only RBI before Smith and Max Muncy homered late to put the game out of reach. The series now shifts to Dodger Stadium for Games 3 through 5.
TORONTO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a complete-game performance and Will Smith drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5–1 in Game Two of the World Series on Saturday night at Rogers Centre.
Smith opened the scoring in the first inning by driving in Freddie Freeman. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman settled quickly after the early run, retiring 17 straight Dodgers hitters to keep the game even through the middle innings.
The Blue Jays tied the game in the third when Alejandro Kirk lifted a sacrifice fly to score George Springer. The 1–1 score held until the seventh inning, when Smith and Max Muncy hit back-to-back home runs to left off Gausman to restore the Dodgers’ lead.
Los Angeles added insurance in the eighth. A wild pitch with the bases loaded produced a run, and Smith collected his third RBI of the night to make it 5–1. Yamamoto closed it out himself in the ninth, giving the Dodgers bullpen a full night off after being used heavily in Game One.
The World Series now moves to Southern California for Games Three, Four and Five at Dodger Stadium beginning Monday.