LOS ANGELES — SPORTS – The first pitch of the game resulted in a homerun single, and it just kept getting better for the Blue Jays and their fans.
Stop the presses and cue the highlight reel—Trey Yesavage just authored a World Series coming-of-age story for the ages.
The 22-year-old rookie mowed down the defending champs with 7 innings, 12 K, 0 BB, 1 ER—the most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game and the first pitcher in Fall Classic history to notch 12+ Ks with zero walks.
That’s not a debut. That’s a declaration.
Up top? Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went back-to-back on the first three pitches they saw from Blake Snell, blasting Toronto to a 2–0 lead before some Dodger fans even cleared the parking lot. The Jays never looked back, winning 6–1 and taking a 3–2 series lead.
World Series Game 6: Friday, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FOX — Rogers Centre is ready to rock.
Why Game 5 Was a Franchise Flex
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Yesa- SAVAGE!: From Single-A in April to postseason road dominance in October. That’s a rocket ride.
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History Lesson: First time a World Series game has ever started with back-to-back homers by the visiting team’s first two hitters.
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Dodgers Silenced: Across Games 4 and 5, L.A. bats hit .161 (10-for-62). The Jays’ staff kept the blue balloons deflated and the Chavez Ravine crowd quiet.
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Vladdy Locked In: Two homers across the last two games. Face of the franchise. Face of the moment.
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Numbers That Matter: In best-of-seven series tied 2–2, Game 5 winners take the series 67.6% of the time. With the 2-3-2 format, teams that win Game 5 on the road and head home up 3–2 win it 74.1% of the time.
The Turning Points
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Kaboom x2: Schneider ambushed 98 up-and-in for a leadoff tank. Guerrero Jr. followed—same heater species, same result. 2–0 Jays in a blink.
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The Composer: Yesavage’s overhand splitter returned with venom. He became just the second pitcher ever (with Sandy Koufax, who was in the house) to record 10+ Ks in the first five innings of a World Series game.
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Add-On Runs:
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4th: Varsho triple; Ernie Clement sac fly—3–1.
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7th: Chaos inning—wild pitches, a Barger dash on a third wild pitch, and a Bo Bichette RBI single. The cushion swelled to 5–1, then 6–1.
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Calm in the Storm: Veteran voices like Chris Bassitt raved about the kid’s composure. Even Max Scherzer tipped the cap: “He’s for real.”
What It Means for Game 6
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Home Cauldron: The Jays bring the party back to Rogers Centre—where memories of 1993 meet a roster hungry to write its own chapter.
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Momentum Meter: After the 18-inning gut-punch loss in Game 3, Toronto outscored L.A. 12–3 in Games 4 and 5. That’s resilience with receipts.
