Trey Yesavage's gem leads Blue Jays past Dodgers, secures 3-2 lead in World Series
The Blue Jays are now just one win away from a World Series title after they immediately jumped on Dodgers starter Blake Snell and received a masterful pitching performance from rookie Trey Yesavage in Game 5 of the 2025 World Series on Wednesday night.
They've now won two of the three games in Los Angeles, after falling in an exhausting 18-inning contest in Game 3. The series will now head back to Toronto for Game 6, and if necessary, the decisive Game 7.
Toronto's offense kicked off immediately, when Davis Schneider ripped the very first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a home run, paving the way for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who followed up just two pitches later with his own solo shot. The back-to-back homers gave Toronto an early 2-0 lead. It was Guerrero Jr.'s eighth homer of the postseason and third of the series.
Shohei Ohtani, who was the losing pitcher in Game 4, went 0-for-4 on the night. He hasn't gotten a hit since his record-setting performance in Game 3, when he reached base in all nine of his plate appearances and slugged two home runs.
Trey Yesavage, who started Game 1 of the World Series against Snell, battled through seven dazzling innings of one-run baseball, striking out 12 Dodgers along the way and allowing just three hits.
He had struck out five consecutive batters when he gave up a solo homer to Kiké Hernández in the bottom of the third inning. He remained composed, however, getting Shohei Ohtani to strike out to end the frame on a nasty splitter.
Toronto grabbed its two-run lead back almost instantly when Daulton Varsho tripled to right field when Teoscar Hernández misplayed a fly ball, and then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ernie Clement.
Yesavage briefly ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning after he hit Freddie Freeman and then allowed an infield single to Teoscar Hernández. He escaped the jam by getting Tommy Edman to pop out to shortstop, preserving Toronto's slim lead.
Snell was pulled after 6 and 2/3 innings. He finished the game with seven strikeouts, allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks.
He gave way to Edgardo Henriquez with runners on first and third after getting Schneider to strike out for the second time after hitting his leadoff homer. He threw two wild pitches in the inning, which allowed Barger, who had singled earlier in the inning, to reach third base.
Henriquez, who immediately had to face Guerrero Jr., overthrew a payoff pitch off the tip of Will Smith's glove, not only walking the batter, but also allowing Addison Barger to score from third, giving the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead. Bo Bichette followed up with a single to right field, scoring Andres Gimenez from second base, increasing the lead to 5-1.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts pulled Henriquez, who failed to get an out, after he walked the bases loaded. His replacement, Anthony Banda, promptly got Varsho to ground out to second and end the disastrous frame.
After getting Freeman to strike out to start the seventh inning, Yesavage allowed another infield hit to Teoscar Hernández, but preserved his stellar performance by inducing an inning-ending double play from Edman.
He finished the game with 12 strikeouts, allowing just one run on three hits. He didn't walk a batter.
Ernie Clement led off the top of the eighth inning with a single and promptly took second base on yet another wild pitch from a Dodgers pitcher. He scored via a single from Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, increasing the Blue Jays' lead to 6-1.
Yesavage gave way to Seranthony Dominguez in the eighth inning. His most recent appearance came in Game 3, when he allowed Ohtani's second home run of the game, which turned into an 18-inning classic that ended with a Freddie Freeman walk-off homer.
Will Smith led off the top of the ninth inning with a single, but Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman was able to retire Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández to secure the win.
Game 6 of the Fall Classic, which brings the series back to Toronto, will be a win-or-go-home situation for the Dodgers, who expect to send their ace to the mound in Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He has thrown back-to-back complete games in the postseason, including the Dodgers' Game 2 win.
The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Halloween night. Should the series go to seven games, the Dodgers would likely send Game 3 starter Tyler Glasnow to the mound, with Ohtani as a possible relief option, if necessary.
Key stats and moments
Addison Barger stole a hit from Ohtani in the bottom of the sixth inning with a diving catch in right field. It would've been his first hit since his historic Game 3 performance, in which he had three extra-base hits and reached base nine times in nine plate appearances.
Yesavage's 12 strikeouts were a career high, just outdoing the 11 he had in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. Before being selected for the Blue Jays' postseason roster, Yesavage had only made three regular-season starts. His 106 pitches were also a career high.
He is the first rookie in MLB history with two 10+ strikeout games.
The Dodgers' four wild pitches are the second-highest total in postseason history. Rick Ankiel had five in a 2000 playoff game for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mookie Betts postseason struggles continued in Game 5. He is 3-for-23 in the World Series and is now hitting just .234 in all 16 games the Dodgers have played in. He has four extra-base hits, three of which game in Game 2 of the Wild Card round of the Cincinnati Reds.
