When Toronto Blue Jays with tabs Trey Yesavage As the 20th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the right-hander was considered one of the most prepared pitchers in the class. But even the most optimistic analyst wouldn't see Yesavage rewriting World Series records just over 16 months later.
Well, after a 12-strikeout performance on Wednesday – the most by a rookie in a World Series game – Yesavage etched his name into Fall Classic history and gave Toronto a 3-2 series lead over Toronto. Los Angeles DodgersHe is just one win away from winning the third title in franchise history.
In addition to Yesavage's dominance, the Blue Jays struck first in Game 5. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went back-to-back for the first three pitches of the game, silencing Dodger Stadium before all the fans had settled into their seats.
The World Series will now return to Toronto, where Los Angeles will turn to Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday night in hopes of forcing a Game 7.
Before the action resumes, here's a snippet of what US MLB analysts are saying as the Blue Jays take control of the series and are one win away from dethroning the defending champions.
After both Yesavage and Blake Snell were unable to pitch in Game 1, Wednesday's rematch gave both starters a chance to adjust and come up with a new game plan.
Things clearly went better for Yesavage the second time around, as the rookie found his splitter dominating the Dodgers lineup after he threw his signature pitch just 10 times in their first outing.
His rebound was the focus of Ben Clemens' game review on Fangraphs.
“Yesavage attacked the Dodgers lineup with his usual head-on attitude. He briefly became the personification of true results; he made five strikeouts in a row and then hit a mammoth home run to Enrique Hernandez in the third. But homer or not, Yesavage was amazing in Game 5. He struck out Ohtani, Will Smith and Mookie Betts in succession, bringing his tally to eight…
“This is essentially the ideal form of Yesavage. His unorthodox delivery and odd backwards slider keep hitters off balance. Fastballs explode from his high release point. His splitter makes everything else play because hitters have to account for it, but it still usually comes up empty. The Dodgers had no answers.”
By the end of the night, Yesavage became the first pitcher in World Series history to throw 12 strikeouts without walking, the first rookie to throw more than 10 strikeouts in a postseason game, and the rookie with the most strikeouts in a single playoff series.
The atmosphere in Toronto may have never been higher, but in Los Angeles questions were beginning to arise about the Dodgers' performance in the series.
After dropping Games 4 and 5, the Dodgers lost consecutive games for the first time this postseason and found themselves on the brink.
Much of the concern is centered on Los Angeles' high-powered offense, which has been unusually quiet for much of the postseason and was shuffled on Wednesday before the game – something that Los Angeles Times” Jack Harris covered up after the loss.
“In this fall classic, their once overlooked fears of attack have escalated into full-blown panic. In their previous 20 innings heading into Game 5, the Dodgers had scored just three hits.
“The pressure reached a tipping point Wednesday when the Dodgers announced a major shakeup to their roster. Falling shortstop Mookie Betts dropped from second to third in the batting order, and Will Smith moved up to hit behind Shohei Ohtani. Andy Pages was also benched after struggling hard as the No. 9 hitter, replaced by the more contact-oriented Alex Call in the Dodgers' rebuilt outfield.
Of course, the roster changes didn't do more harm to the Dodgers or manager Dave Roberts. Betts remained mired in his slump, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Call provided no spark in the bottom of the lineup, reaching base only on a walk in the eighth inning and ultimately being stranded by Ohtani one batter later.
If Los Angeles hopes to defend its crown, it will need to find a way to solve the Blue Jays pitching problem in Toronto.
With the Blue Jays one win away from a 32-year World Series celebration, the prospect of winning a Canadian baseball title in the 21st century has literally never been closer.
Just one season after winning 74 games and finishing in the AL East basement, the Blue Jays flipped the script in 2025. They've banked on their unique brand of baseball and relied on their mixed lineup of unheralded names and established superstars to capture the imagination of a country as the calendar heads toward November.
But how USA todayAs Bob Nightengale writes, the Blue Jays also convinced many people south of the border.
The Blue Jays, who won the AL East in a final-day tiebreaker, avoided elimination twice and beat the Seattle Mariners for the American League pennant, suddenly turned this World Series on its head...
“It was the Dodgers and four of their future Hall of Famers suddenly muttering to themselves, wondering what had happened.
“And it’s the Blue Jays, those lovable characters north of the border, who are going to turn Toronto into a baseball utopia…
“Now the entire baseball universe believes in them.“
