Three pitches into Game 5 of the 2025 World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t just take the lead—they rewrote history. On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, leadoff hitter Davis Schneider launched a first-pitch homer off Blake Snell, and two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same. The back-to-back home runs to open a World Series game? Never happened before. Not in 120 years of postseason baseball. And suddenly, the Toronto Blue Jays weren’t just winning—they were making a statement.
Yesavage shuts down the Dodgers’ hopes
It wasn’t just the bats. The real turning point came from the mound. Trey Yesavage, the 26-year-old right-hander who’d spent most of the season in the bullpen, started Game 5—and delivered one of the most dominant postseason performances in recent memory. Over 6.2 innings, he struck out 12, allowed just four hits, and gave up only one run. He didn’t just outpitch Snell; he made the Dodgers’ entire lineup look confused, helpless, and out of rhythm. When Yesavage walked off the mound in the seventh, the crowd at Dodger Stadium was eerily quiet. Even the Dodgers’ dugout seemed to exhale in disbelief.Snell, the 2018 Cy Young winner and one of the postseason’s most trusted arms, lasted 6.2 innings but surrendered five earned runs on seven hits—including those two historic home runs. It was his shortest outing of the 2025 playoffs. And it wasn’t just him. The Dodgers’ entire rotation, once feared as the most intimidating in baseball, has looked brittle since Game 1. Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón—each a star in their own right—have been hit hard, chased early, or simply outmatched. As MLB.com put it: “The Blue Jays made them look mortal.”
The road back to Toronto
The series is now 3-2 in Toronto’s favor. After splitting the first two games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, the Blue Jays won all three games in Los Angeles. That’s not just momentum—it’s dominance. The Dodgers, who haven’t won a World Series since 2020, now face elimination on their own turf. But the twist? They’re heading back to Toronto.
Game 6 is set for Friday, October 31, 2025, at Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays haven’t lost a postseason game all year. The crowd will be electric—2.8 million Torontonians are holding their breath. And the Dodgers? They’ll send out Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Japanese phenom who’s been the best pitcher of the entire postseason. In Game 2, he threw a complete-game gem at Rogers Centre, allowing just two runs over nine innings. He’s the one obstacle left between Toronto and its first championship since 1993.
Why Yamamoto is the ultimate test
Yamamoto doesn’t overpower. He outthinks. His changeup is a ghost. His slider breaks late, like a knife through butter. He’s thrown 18.1 innings across two starts this postseason with a 1.48 ERA. The Blue Jays’ lineup, which crushed Snell and the rest of LA’s rotation, has never faced anyone quite like him. Schneider and Guerrero Jr. thrive on fastballs early in counts. Yamamoto rarely throws them. He’ll make them chase. He’ll make them wait. He’ll make them doubt.
But here’s the thing: Toronto’s offense has already proven it can solve elite pitching. They did it against the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS. They did it against Snell in Game 5. If they can just make Yamamoto work—force him to throw 100 pitches before the fifth inning—they might just break him. And if they do? The city of Toronto hasn’t celebrated a championship this big since Joe Carter’s walk-off homer in 1993. That generation is still here. Their kids are here. And now, maybe, their grandchildren will get to see it too.
What’s at stake beyond the trophy
This isn’t just about ending a 32-year drought. It’s about legacy. For Guerrero Jr., it’s cementing himself as the face of a new Canadian baseball dynasty. For Schneider, it’s validation after years of being overlooked. For Yesavage, it’s a breakout that could define his career. And for the Blue Jays organization—the team that spent nearly three decades rebuilding after their 1992-93 back-to-back titles—it’s the culmination of a patient, methodical rebuild that paid off in the most dramatic way possible.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are staring at a collapse they didn’t see coming. They had the best record in baseball. They had the deepest rotation. They had Ohtani, the greatest two-way player ever. But baseball, as always, doesn’t care about résumés. It cares about execution. And on October 29, the Blue Jays executed perfectly.
Game 7, if needed, is scheduled for Sunday, November 2, back at Rogers Centre. But Toronto won’t want to wait. Not after what they’ve shown. Not after history was made on the very first pitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How significant is the back-to-back home run start in World Series history?
It’s unprecedented. In 120 years of World Series play, no game had ever begun with consecutive home runs. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first pair in MLB history to accomplish this feat on October 29, 2025. The previous record for fastest lead in a World Series opener was a solo homer on the first pitch—now, that record has been doubled.
Why is Yoshinobu Yamamoto such a tough matchup for the Blue Jays?
Yamamoto doesn’t rely on velocity—he relies on precision and deception. His changeup sits in the low 80s but looks like a fastball, and his slider has late, sharp break that fools even elite hitters. He threw a complete game in Game 2 at Rogers Centre, and the Blue Jays only managed two runs off him. They’ll need to be patient, work deep counts, and avoid chasing pitches out of the zone.
What impact does home-field advantage have in Game 6?
Rogers Centre has been a fortress for the Blue Jays this postseason, with a 5-0 home record. The crowd noise—over 48,000 fans packed in—has disrupted pitchers and energized Toronto’s offense. The Dodgers haven’t won a game in Toronto this series, and the energy shift from Los Angeles to Toronto could be the difference-maker in a tight Game 6.
How has Trey Yesavage’s performance changed the series?
Yesavage’s 12-strikeout outing in Game 5 shifted the entire momentum. The Blue Jays’ rotation had been under scrutiny after Game 4’s bullpen collapse. Yesavage didn’t just pitch well—he silenced doubts. He proved Toronto’s depth is real, and that they don’t need to rely solely on Guerrero Jr. or Schneider to win. He’s now the unexpected ace of the series.
What’s the historical context of the Blue Jays’ 32-year championship drought?
The Blue Jays last won the World Series in 1993, when Joe Carter hit a walk-off homer in Game 6. Since then, they’ve made only two playoff appearances (2015, 2016) and never returned to the Fall Classic. This 2025 run is the first time since 1993 that Toronto has reached the final round, making this the longest active World Series drought among teams that have previously won it all.
Could this series end in Game 6, or will it go to a Game 7?
It’s possible—but not guaranteed. Yamamoto is a bulldog, and the Dodgers have shown resilience. If Toronto’s hitters can’t solve him early, LA’s bullpen—led by Daniel Hudson and Evan Phillips—could extend the series. But with the crowd behind them and the weight of 32 years behind their backs, the Blue Jays have every reason to believe they can close it out in Game 6.
