🔗 Share this article

Trey Yesavage turned in a legendary performance and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday, standing one win away of their first World Series championship since 1993.

A Rookie's Record-Setting Night

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – the first pitcher in World Series history to do so. The rookie right-hander surrendered just one run on three hits over seven frames. 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.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters jumped out to a fast lead. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and homered to left field. Just moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to a similar location. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that the game began with two straight homers, stunning the crowd before most had settled in.

The Pitcher's Dominance

Yesavage then went to work. He retired five straight via strikeout between the second and third innings, breaking a rookie pitching record before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a home run in the bottom of the third to make it 2–1. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth, Daulton Varsho tripled down the right-field line after a fielding error, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to bring him home for a three to one lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened from there. After managing six runs in a lengthy extra-inning contest, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The Dodgers starter lasted into the seventh inning but was chased in the seventh after the bases became full. The two inherited runners scored – via a wild pitch and the other on a run-scoring hit – to push the lead to four runs. A single in the eighth provided the final margin.

Bullpen Secures the Win

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the Blue Jays supporters, and the relievers finished the job. The relief corps each worked a scoreless inning to close it out, combining for three strikeouts while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece.

Offensive Woes Continue

The Dodgers, who rearranged their batting order in an attempt to generate runs, again found little traction. Their top hitter went hitless in four at-bats and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since reaching base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now leading the series three games to two, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two opportunities to win it all. The sixth game is set for Friday at Rogers Centre.