Toronto On the Brink of Victory After Rookie Phenom Tames Los Angeles in Game 5

Yesavage authored a masterclass on the mound and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Dodgers six to one on Wednesday, moving within one victory of their first World Series championship since 1993.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The young Yesavage, who debuted in the majors this past September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – achieving a historic World Series first. The rookie right-hander gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. He began the year pitching before a few hundred fans in Class A ball, but has now started and won two of Toronto’s three victories in this championship series.

A Quick Start for Toronto

Toronto’s hitters provided early support. On the first pitch of the game, Schneider connected with a high-velocity fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. Immediately after, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to nearly the same spot. It marked the unprecedented occurrence in the World Series that back-to-back homers started a game, leaving the audience in awe before most had taken their places.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then took over. He fanned five in a row between the early frames, establishing a new rookie mark before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a home run in the bottom of the third to make it two to one. That was the nearest the Dodgers came.

Extending the Lead

In the fourth, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a defensive mistake, and Ernie Clement hit a sac fly to plate the run for a three to one lead. The Dodgers’ offensive struggles deepened from there. After scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Late Inning Insurance

The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but exited in the seventh after the bases became full. The runners he allowed both crossed the plate – via a wild pitch and one more on a base hit – to push the lead to four runs. A eighth-inning base hit provided the final margin.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the Blue Jays supporters, and the relievers finished the job. The relief corps each tossed a shutout frame to close it out, fanning three batters collectively while protecting the rookie's gem.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again found little traction. Their star slugger went hitless in four at-bats and is now without a hit in his last seven appearances since setting a World Series on-base record in the third game.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now up 3–2, Toronto go back to their own stadium with two chances to clinch. The sixth game is set for Friday at Rogers Centre.