Rookie Trey Yesavage Dominates as Blue Jays Move One Win from Glory

Toronto on the Brink of World Series Triumph

LOS ANGELES — The Toronto Blue Jays are on the cusp of baseball immortality.
Behind the dazzling brilliance of rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage, the Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–1 in Game 5 of the World Series, taking a commanding 3–2 series lead.

Now, as the series shifts back to Toronto’s Rogers Centre, the team stands just one win away from its first championship since 1993.

“I can’t wait to see what Rogers Centre is going to look, feel, and sound like,” said manager John Schneider after the victory.

A Rookie’s Masterpiece: 12 Strikeouts, One Run Allowed

At just 22 years old, Trey Yesavage turned in a performance for the ages.
Over seven innings, he allowed only one run while striking out 12 Dodgers, breaking the record for most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game — a mark that stood since 1912, when Smoky Joe Wood fanned 11 batters for Boston.

Yesavage’s splitter was his weapon of choice, baffling Dodgers hitters all night.

“When it’s on, he can make anybody in the game look stupid,” said Toronto veteran Max Scherzer.

The historic outing made Yesavage the youngest pitcher in Blue Jays history to dominate a postseason start of this magnitude.

Early Power Surge: Schneider and Guerrero Go Deep

Toronto wasted no time attacking Blake Snell, the Dodgers’ two-time Cy Young winner.
In the game’s first inning, Davis Schneider crushed a first-pitch fastball for a leadoff home run. Moments later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a towering blast — his eighth of the postseason — giving the Jays an early 2–0 lead.

That back-to-back power surge silenced Dodger Stadium and set the tone for the night.
Snell struggled to recover, and by the seventh inning, Toronto’s bats — led by Bo Bichette and Addison Barger — had extended the lead to 6–1.

Dodgers’ Frustration and Lineup Shakeups

For Los Angeles, the loss was another reminder of a lineup gone cold.
Manager Dave Roberts shuffled his order, moving Will Smith to the No. 2 spot behind Shohei Ohtani, while dropping Mookie Betts to third. The changes did little to spark production.

“You see those guys finding ways to get hits, move the baseball forward, and we’re not doing a good job of it,” Roberts admitted postgame.

The Dodgers’ lone highlight came when Kiké Hernández connected on a solo homer in the third inning — their only run of the night.

Yesavage’s Poise Under Pressure

Despite pitching on the road for the first time in weeks, Yesavage was composed beyond his years.
He struck out Freddie Freeman twice with his splitter and handled Ohtani with confidence — even escaping a sixth-inning rocket from the two-way star that was saved by a diving catch from Addison Barger.

“He’s completely composed. The moment’s not too big for him,” said teammate Chris Bassitt.

Yesavage’s dominance carried Toronto through seven innings before the bullpen closed the door.

A City Ready to Celebrate Again

The Blue Jays return home to Rogers Centre with two chances to secure the franchise’s first World Series title in over 30 years.
Kevin Gausman is expected to start Game 6, with the atmosphere in Toronto already building toward fever pitch.

“What more can you say?” said Gausman. “What an exceptional young kid. But also, what a pitcher.”

Fans across Canada are preparing for what could be a historic night — one that finally revives memories of Joe Carter’s iconic 1993 walk-off home run.