World Series: Blue Jays 6, Dodgers 1
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in a pair of RBI, Trey Yesavage allowed one run across seven innings, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 on Wednesday night to position themselves one win away from a World Series title.
Schneider and Guerrero Go Back-To-Back
On the very first pitch of the game, Davis Schneider lifted a home run into left field, putting the Blue Jays up 1-0. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then followed that up with a solo shot of his own to double the Blue Jays’ lead.
Hernandez Puts Dodgers on Board
In the bottom of the third inning, Kiké Hernandez drove in the Dodgers’ only run of the game. The solo home run made it a 2-1 contest, and it gave Hernandez his first home run of the playoffs.
Blue Jays Tack on Insurance Runs
Following a Daulton Varsho triple in the fourth inning, Ernie Clement hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Varsho and putting the Blue Jays back up by two runs.
Three innings later, Guerrero Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk, giving him two RBI on the night. Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette then singled to drive in another run, putting the Blue Jays up 5-1. Bichette’s RBI single was his third RBI in as many games.
To lead off the eighth inning, Clement singled into right field, extending his postseason hitting streak to eleven games. Isiah Kiner-Falefa proceeded to single, scoring Clement and giving the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead.
What Went Right For Blue Jays
The Blue Jays’ offense was good, but their starting pitching was even better. Across seven innings, rookie Trey Yesavage struck out 12 batters, allowing one earned run on three hits.
What Went Wrong For Blue Jays
The Blue Jays played a nearly flawless game of baseball on Wednesday, but they still left seven runners on base. Six runs got the job done, but there was certainly the opportunity for more.
What Went Right For Dodgers
The Dodgers’ bullpen only had one run charged to them on Wednesday night. Blake Treinen, who has struggled mightily this postseason, even managed not to surrender a run.
What Went Wrong For Dodgers
The top of the Dodgers’ order disappeared on Wednesday night, as the 1-4 hitters went a combined 1-for-15. If it wasn’t for a Will Smith single in the ninth inning, the group would have gone hitless.
The first Dodgers reliever, Edgardo Henriquez, inherited a 3–1 deficit and two runners from Snell. Both inherited runners scored, putting the game further out of reach at 5–1.
Manager Reactions
Even though his team’s back is against the wall, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is no stranger to adversity.
“We’ve been in elimination games,” said Roberts postgame. “We’ve got to find a way to win a game. That’s it.”
Following his dominant performance, Blue Jays manager John Schneider gave credit to Trey Yesavage and the way he’s handled the majors.
“He’s definitely raised the ceiling, for sure,” said Schneider postgame. “We’re talking about a guy that, not only is he performing well, but he’s handling a lot of stuff well.”
Next Matchup
The Blue Jays will host the Dodgers in Game Six of the World Series on Friday at 8:00 pm Eastern/5:00 pm Pacific. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start for the Dodgers, while Kevin Gausman will do the same for the Blue Jays.
