Blue Jays one win from title as Yesavage’s 12-strikeout gem sinks Dodgers in Game 5

The Toronto Blue Jays are one game away from baseball immortality after Trey Yesavage silenced the Los Angeles Dodgers with a historic pitching performance in Game 5 of the 2025 World Series. The 6-1 victory at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, gave Toronto a 3-2 series lead — and the chance to clinch their first championship since 1993 on home soil Friday night. Yesavage, a 22-year-old rookie making just his eighth MLB start, threw seven innings of flawless baseball: 12 strikeouts, zero walks, one run. He became the first pitcher in World Series history to strike out 12+ batters without issuing a single free pass. And he did it in front of 52,175 fans in the heart of Hollywood — a far cry from the 327 spectators who watched him pitch in the low minors just 46 days ago.

Back-to-back bombs start a historic night

The game didn’t need a slow build. It exploded from the first pitch. Davis Schneider, the 26-year-old outfielder stepping in for the injured George Springer, took Blake Snell’s first pitch — a 96-mph four-seamer — and launched it into the left-field seats. Before the crowd could even catch their breath, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same on Snell’s third pitch. Back-to-back home runs to open a World Series game? Never happened in 705 Fall Classic contests. Not in Babe Ruth’s era. Not in the steroid years. Not even during the Dodgers’ 2020 title run. It was pure, unscripted chaos — the kind baseball dreams are made of.

Snell, the two-time Cy Young winner and veteran of 12 postseason campaigns, looked rattled. He gave up five runs in 6⅔ innings, his command gone, his confidence shaken. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ offense — which had already dismantled Shohei Ohtani, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón in earlier rounds — kept piling on. Schneider, who entered the playoffs hitting .188, now has three hits in five big moments this series. It’s not luck. It’s pressure turning into purpose.

Yesavage: From obscurity to immortality

“Crazy world,” Yesavage said afterward, shaking his head with a half-smile. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.” He’s right. His journey reads like a movie script: Class A ball in June. Double-A in July. Triple-A in August. A call-up in September. And now, a World Series masterpiece on the road, against the defending champions, in front of a roaring LA crowd. He didn’t just pitch well. He dominated with poise no 22-year-old should have. His fastball touched 98 mph. His slider broke bats like twigs. He didn’t just outpitch Snell — he outclassed an entire lineup that had scored 28 runs in its previous four games.

His stats? 12 strikeouts. Zero walks. One earned run. Seven innings. Just 98 pitches. The last rookie to throw seven innings with 10+ strikeouts and no walks in the World Series? No one. Ever. The record books now belong to him.

The weight of history — and home field

Winning Game 5 on the road in a 3-2 series? That’s not just momentum. That’s destiny. Since the 2-3-2 format began in 1924, teams that win Game 5 away after splitting the first four games have gone on to clinch the title 20 out of 27 times — a 74.1% success rate. The Blue Jays, who finished the regular season 94-68 with a mediocre 40-41 road record, suddenly look like the most dangerous team left. Their bullpen — anchored by Yimi García and Jordan Romano — hasn’t blown a lead since Game 2. And their lineup? It’s got Guerrero Jr. hitting .347 with four homers in the series, and Schneider, who’s suddenly becoming the quiet hero.

But the Dodgers aren’t done. Not yet. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, their 26-year-old ace, threw two complete games in this postseason — including a shutout in Game 2 at Rogers Centre. He’s the kind of pitcher who can flip a series on one night. If he’s sharp in Game 6, the Dodgers still have a lifeline. But they’ll need more than one brilliant outing. They’ll need their offense to wake up — and they’ll need to solve Yesavage’s shadow.

What’s at stake? A generation’s wait

The Blue Jays haven’t won a World Series since Joe Carter’s walk-off homer in 1993. That’s 32 years. A generation of fans grew up without a parade down Yonge Street. Parents told their kids about the ’92 and ’93 teams. Now, those kids are adults — with jobs, mortgages, and aching hearts. They’ve watched this team rebuild from the ashes of a decade-long rebuild. They’ve seen Guerrero Jr. blossom. They’ve watched Yesavage rise from obscurity. And now, they’re one win from the summit.

At Rogers Centre, the energy is already electric. Tickets for Game 6 sold out in 11 minutes. The city is buzzing. The mayor declared a citywide celebration day if they win. The players say they’re focused. But you can feel it: this isn’t just about baseball. It’s about legacy.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers — who entered as favorites, who won it all in 2020, who spent $350 million this offseason — now face the unthinkable: elimination at home. Their president, Stan Kasten, said after the game, “We’ve been here before. We’ll be ready.” But history doesn’t care about past glories. It only remembers who won last.

Game 6 looms — and the clock is ticking

Game 6 is set for Friday, October 31, 2025, at 8:08 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Blue Jays haven’t announced their starter — but it won’t be Yesavage. He’s out for now. Maybe it’s Kevin Gausman. Maybe it’s José Berríos. Whoever it is, they’ll carry the weight of a city’s hope. And they’ll face Yamamoto, who’s been the postseason’s most consistent force.

If Toronto wins? They’ll be champions. If LA wins? It’s a Game 7 thriller in the City of Angels. But right now? The momentum, the history, the emotion — it all leans east.