Rookie Trey Yesavage makes history as Blue Jays move within win of World Series title

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LOS ANGELES — When Trey Yesavage began his 2025 season, Blue Jays manager John Schneider hadn't even spoken to the young pitcher.

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That's how far the 22-year-old was from the big leagues, four steps down the minor league ladder and light years away from what he accomplished Wednesday night.

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About an hour into another spectacular sunset at Chavez Ravine and after one of the most remarkable rookie performances in MLB postseason history, Yesavage led his team to one win away from the franchise's third World Series title.

Yesavage, a powerful and precocious youngster with a lethal splitter, broke the Dodgers' Fall Classic rookie record of 12 hitters, leading his team to another lopsided 6-1 victory over the defending World Series champions.

When his day was over, Schneider greeted the big right-hander with a hug and a pat on the back as Yesavage jumped into the visitors' dugout on the first base line at historic Dodger Stadium.

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“Historic,” said the manager. “When you talk about that phase and his numbers, he's ahead of a lot of hitters, tons of swings and misses.”

Yesavage definitely felt the magic and significance of the moment.

“It's been a crazy year, but being surrounded by veterans is great,” Yesavage said after the game. “It's a crazy world. Hollywood couldn't do it that well. So, to be a part of this, I feel very lucky.”

Baffling hitter after hitter, Yesavage unleashed a stunning blow on his bewildered opponents, who were trying to figure out what was leaving his hand and crossing the plate in all sorts of bewildering motions.

Two straight wins at historic Dodger Stadium send the Jays back to Toronto with a 3-2 lead and a chance to clinch the title in front of a rabid crowd Friday night at Rogers Center.

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As his parents and brother cheered wildly in an already deathly quiet stadium, Yesavage was surrounded by a crowd of his teammates on the Jays bench as his night of work ended.

His fifth playoff appearance in a remarkable October was not only his first on the road, but his best.

“I don't think anyone necessarily would have believed he could make it to the big leagues and dominate the World Series,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said outside the visitors' clubhouse. “But we knew he could do it. He just jumped into the role and took on the burden of the world and handled it so well.”

As the challenges increased, so did his ability to overcome them.

The biggest of them all, however, was undoubtedly Wednesday's assignment, where Yesavage expertly navigated the hostile surroundings of Dodger Stadium. He was certainly helped by the fact that teammates Davis Schneider and Vlad Guerrero Jr. crushed solo homers with just three pitches.

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But calm, cool and clearly up for a challenge, Yesavage was clearly ready to take on the business.

It's been a wild ride for Yesavage, what started out as a feel-good story as he worked his way through the minor leagues to earn promotion to the big team in September.

But at each stage, the talented athlete went from prospect to major pro, giving the organization something to dream about on a night like this.

This dream becoming a reality was still the furthest thing out of the equation given baseball's normal path to the major leagues.

“Every part of it,” Yesavage said when asked what about his journey prepared him for the same effort he made Wednesday. “Every day I learn something new. I take something from my game or someone else's game. Adding up all these days this season has brought me to this point.”

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And it brought his team to the brink of the greatest prize in sports: a 3-2 series lead over the defending champions and two games in Toronto to seal the win.

Our takeaways from the Jays' 10th win of the playoffs.

WHAT MAKES A BABY SO BIG?

He is a very competitive and driven young pitcher, and this quality allows him to be competitive even when he is not at his best.

But when his splitter, launched at a unique angle from his 6-foot-4 frame, is at the point, opposing batters look foolish.

The Dodgers' hitters were certainly stymied throughout the game, whether it was a hit-and-miss from superstar Shohei Ohtani that ended the third or a five-straight hit that included all three batters he faced in the second.

“When you see the MVP and the best players in the league making some moves on his stuff, that's a really positive sign,” Jays closer Jeff Hoffman said. “You can't make these guys look like that if you think it's not real.”

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Yesavage certainly acted with confidence and authority, moving through the Dodgers' lineup with such ease that his manager didn't hesitate to send him out for the seventh and longest outing of his postseason career.

Teoscar's run-out single in Yesavage's final inning was just the third hit he allowed, while the only hit that had a devastating impact was a solo homer off a hanging fastball that Enrique Hernandez hit in the Dodgers' third.

“When that splitter is on,” said veteran Jays starter Max Scherzer, “it makes everyone in the game look stupid.”

HOW PITCHING WITH LEADS HELPED

A historic first inning for the Jays' bats would certainly help ease any jitters Yesavage was feeling.

Davis Schneider, taking the lead due to an injury to George Springer, hit the first pitch of the game over the left field wall to start the game. The Jays' home run jacket barely rested on his shoulders, and Schneider watched as Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit his long ball over the same wall two pitches later.

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In doing so, Jays became the first batter to start a World Series game with back-to-back homers.

“It was huge,” Yesavage admitted. “These guys set the tone, gave us control early and we didn’t lose that.”

And everything went as planned: the Jays planned to ambush Snell with aggressive strikes.

“Against a really good pitcher like him, you have to be ready to hit,” manager John Schneider said. “He's going to chase you, he's going to challenge you. There's a time to grind them out and there's a time to be ready to strike. It's just great that it worked out the way it did.”

The Dodgers kept it close most of the night, but the Jays' relentless and opportunistic offense continued to press, scoring one run in the fourth, a pair in the seventh and another insurance run in the eighth.

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“It was great (getting the crowd out early),” Davis Schneider said. “The more runs you can get early, especially from (Dodgers starter Blake Snell), he's such a good pitcher. He kind of settled in after that, but to get two runs out of him is so big.”

DO JAYS HAVE A DUCK?

A two-for-three win in Los Angeles certainly gives that feeling, allowing them to return home to the crazy Rogers Center on Friday.

However, the team is determined to remain in control and is unlikely to take anything for granted, especially since the Dodgers will be sending ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had a complete-game victory in Game 2.

The Jays will answer with their trump card Kevin Gausman, who on Wednesday spoke about how much he's looking forward to the task.

“The Rogers Center is going to be fun,” Gausman said before Game 5. “It's going to be electric. It's going to be everything it was last month and more.”

“We’re really excited to be back there.”

Back with a chance to win the World Series at home to cap off a season that will go down as one of the greatest in Toronto sports history.

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