TORONTO | On Friday night in Toronto, the Blue Jays tamed ace pitcher Blake Snell to make him more explosive on offense, winning Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by a surprising 11-4 score.
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Dalton Varsho first hit a two-run homer to tie the game 2–2 and excite the Rogers Center crowd in the bottom of the fourth inning, then the Jays retired Snell from the game in the sixth. There were no exits then and the bases were loaded.
“It's special,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider commented after the game about the fan support. Everyone feels it, not only here, but throughout the country.”
In front of fans begging for more, relievers Emmett Sheehan and Anthony Banda found themselves lacking miracles for the defending champions, so much so that the Blue Jays then made a nine-run surge. You read that right: new!
It was the first time in 57 years that a team scored nine or more runs in one inning during the World Series. On October 9, 1968, the Detroit Tigers scored 10 runs in the third inning of Game 6 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Responsible for having three runners on the route when he left the game, Snell suffered from this offensive explosion. He finished his night with five earned runs and set his record in five innings of work. Snell himself allowed eight hits and three walks.
Barger Grand Slam
Addison Barger's big hit capped the Jays' excellent offensive momentum, which was put to good use as a backup hitter in place of Davis Schneider against Banda. The ambient temperature inside the Rogers Center seemed to suddenly rise. Barger became the first player to hit a grand slam in the World Series while being used as a reserve hitter.
“I think I lost consciousness,” Barger responded to his feat. We have the best fans in baseball. The whole country is behind us.”
Alejandro Kirk also reached out against Banda for a two-run homer, still in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the Dodgers' loss, Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh in the loss.
By the way, baseball fans will be happy to know that in 1968, it was Jim Northrup who hit a grand slam in the third inning for the Tigers.
Briefly:
- Blake Snell allowed just two runs and six hits in 21 innings to start the playoffs before facing the dangerous Blue Jays.
- Bo Bichette hit a single against Snell in his first game in the bottom of the first inning. Bichette pitched in his first game since Sept. 6, notably missing the Blue Jays' previous 11 playoff games. On defense, he played second base for the first time since his debut in the majors. Bichette put some doubts to rest in the first round with a catch from Freddie Freeman.
- Sito Gaston, who managed the Blue Jays during back-to-back victories in 1992 and 1993, made the ceremonial pitch before Friday's game. The man is now 81 years old.
- Although tickets were expensive, large lines formed outside stores outside Rogers Center hours before Friday's game. With the Blue Jays winning, we expect the situation to be similar throughout the weekend.
