LOS ANGELES — Game 5 of the World Series could not have started any worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the very first pitch thrown by Blake Snell, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider homered to left field. Then, moments later, on just the third pitch of the game, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched a bomb to the same area of the stands.
It was the first time in World Series history two players hit back-to-back home runs to open a game. Los Angeles was in a hole from the opening moments of the matchup, and it failed to ever get out of it in a 6-1 loss.
"Everyone has to do their job," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. "Right now we're at elimination, and we've got to kind of wipe the slate clean and find a way to win Game 6. Pick up the pieces and see where we're at."
The Blue Jays lead 3-2 and head back to Toronto for a chance to win the World Series in Game 6 on Friday or, if necessary, Game 7 on Saturday.
Dodgers’ Kíke Hernández closed the deficit to 2-1 in the third inning on a solo shot, but it was the final time Los Angeles would score on the night. The Blue Jays added two runs in the seventh inning — including on a wild pitch by Edgardo Henriquez — and one more for good measure in the eighth.
Los Angeles’ lineup struggled mightily against Toronto’s starter, Trey Yesavage, who allowed just three hits in seven innings, with 12 strikeouts. Only Kíke Hernández and Teoscar Hernández registered hits, and superstar Shohei Ohtani finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
"I don't want to speak on anybody else, but for me, personally, I've just been terrible," said Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, who was hitless on Wednesday. "I've been terrible, and I wish it was from lack of effort, but it's not. I don't have any answers."
Yesavage’s performance appeared that of a seasoned veteran, not a rookie who started this season in Single-A. He has only three MLB starts.
“He was pretty good,” Toronto manager John Schneider joked. “Historic stuff when you talk about that stage and his numbers, getting ahead of a lot of hitters, tons of swing-and-miss. It’s one thing to be in the zone. It’s another to be in the zone and get some swing-and-miss. His slider and split were electric.”
Yesavage said he could have never dreamed of a year like this.
“It’s a crazy world,” he said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.”
The Dodgers will turn to star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 6 to keep their season alive. He has pitched two complete games this postseason, including a dominant performance in Game 2. Kevin Gausman will take the mound for the Blue Jays, hoping to bring Toronto its first World Series title since 1993.
“This was a big performance from a lot of different people individually, but collectively as a team this was a very, very good team win,” Schneider said. “We’ll enjoy the flight and Kevin will be ready to go. I can’t wait to see what the Rogers Centre is going to look, feel and sound like. I can’t wait to have Kev take the mound for us.”
Clayton Kershaw says goodbye to Dodger Stadium
Kershaw, a future Hall of Famer who won a World Series and three Cy Young awards, just said goodbye to the home crowd. He will retire after this year.
FINAL: Blue Jays dominate Dodgers from opening moments
The Blue Jays now lead 3-2 and head back to Toronto for a chance to win the World Series in Game 6 on Friday and, if necessary, Game 7 on Saturday.
The good news for the Dodgers? They’re not facing Yesavage again
At least probably not for more than maybe an inning in a potential Game 7.
Yesavage befuddled the Dodgers tonight, giving up just three hits and three hard-hit balls in his seven innings. He did it less with the splitter that’s supposed to be his calling card than with his slider. He used that pitch 28.5% of the time in his three regular-season starts for the Jays. Tonight, he threw it 43.2% of the time. He got 14 whiffs and six of his 12 strikeouts on the offering.
In all, Yesavage has allowed three runs in his two World Series starts. He’s fanned 17 in 11 innings. The Dodgers surely prefer their chances against Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer, who combined to give up six runs over 11 innings in Games 2 and 3.
Dodgers down to their final 3 outs
Will Smith, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will be up hoping to keep Game 5 going with the Dodgers trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the ninth.
Dodgers fail to score in 8th
After a Max Muncy groundout followed by a Kike Hernandez strikeout, Shohei Ohtani lined out to Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero. They'll have one more chance to overcome the deficit or the series goes 3-2 back to Toronto.
Yesavage again takes advantage of Edman in finishing seventh
Trey Yesavage didn’t seem to have much left in the seventh. Fortunately for him, Tommy Edman had nothing to start with.
The switch-hitting Edman’s experiment of hitting right-handed against Yesavage was very much a flop. He grounded into a double play on a slider to end the seventh and Yesavage’s night. Edman actually did manage a soft infield single his first time facing Yesavage in Game 1, but he’s gone hitless since. In trying to take away Yesavage’s splitter, he left himself vulnerable to the slider, which Yesavage used for nine of the 14 pitches he threw Edman tonight.
Yesavage escaped the seventh without ever throwing a pitch harder than 93.1 mph. He began the game averaging 94.7 mph with his fastball in the first.
Game 5 getting ugly for Dodgers fans
Fans are starting to boo here at Dodger Stadium as the Blue Jays just added their sixth run of the night. Ernie Clement, who singled to open the inning, scored on a single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
6-1 Blue Jays in the eighth.
Dodgers again fail to score
After a weak single by Teoscar Hernández to third base with one out, Tommy Edman grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Dodgers will have only two more innings to put something together offensively.
The stars are out for Game 5
The City of Stars came out in full force tonight at Dodger Stadium.
Chris Pine, Alex Cooper, Ellen Pompeo, Charlize Theron, Ladd McConkey, Pat Sajak, Anthony Anderson, Chelsea Frei, Jerry Lorenzo, Andy Garcia, Jason Bateman and Leonardo DiCaprio are all among the celebrities to behold the spectacle that is October baseball in Los Angeles.
If only Snell could have gotten back those first three pitches ...
And then perhaps a called strike three on a borderline 2-2 pitch to Andrés Giménez in the seventh. After giving up two homers to start Game 5, Blake Snell was mostly quite impressive against the Blue Jays, even if was overshadowed by Trey Yesavage’s performance.
Snell left down 3-1 with two on and two out in the seventh — and then was charged with two additional runs because Edgardo Henriquez struggled to get out of the inning — but he allowed just four hits after the homers. All four hits should have singles, but Teoscar Hernández played one of them into a triple, which led to the third run that Snell gave up.
Snell ended up throwing 116 pitches, the third-most of his career. He threw 122 against the Dodgers in August 2021 and 117 versus the Cardinals in September 2022.
