Blue Jays Take 3-2 Lead in World Series After 6-1 Win Over Dodgers in Game 5

Blue Jays Take 3-2 Lead in World Series After 6-1 Win Over Dodgers in Game 5

The Toronto Blue Jays took a commanding 3-2 lead in the 2025 World Series with a stunning 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The win, fueled by a historic rookie pitching performance and back-to-back first-pitch home runs, puts the Blue Jays one game away from their first championship since 1993. It was a night that redefined expectations — and silenced doubters who thought the Dodgers’ home-field advantage would carry them through.

Historic Start, Historic Pitching

It began with pure electricity. At 7:08 PM Pacific Time, Davis Schneider, Toronto’s designated hitter, launched the very first pitch of the game — a 94-mph fastball from Blake Snell — deep into left field. Before the crowd could even exhale, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same, sending Snell’s next offering into the same seats. Two pitches. Two home runs. 2-0 Blue Jays. The Dodgers’ dugout looked stunned. The Toronto bench erupted. No team in World Series history had ever started a game with back-to-back first-pitch homers.

Then came Trey Yesavage. The 22-year-old right-hander from Raleigh, North Carolina, who was picked 17th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, didn’t just pitch. He dominated. Seven innings. Three hits. Zero walks. Twelve strikeouts — a new World Series record for a rookie. He struck out Shohei Ohtani in the fifth, a moment that had fans on their feet and broadcasters calling it the defining pitch of the postseason. Yesavage’s fastball never dipped below 95 mph. His slider was a ghost. And he never once looked rattled.

The Dodgers’ Collapse and the Long Road Back

For the Dodgers, it was a nightmare replay of Game 1. Snell, the 32-year-old Cy Young winner, lasted just 1.1 innings — surrendering two runs on two hits and a walk. His command was gone. His confidence, visibly shaken. After giving up five home runs in Game 1 — including three in the sixth inning — he couldn’t even get past the first. The Dodgers’ offense, usually so lethal, looked lost against Yesavage’s precision. Edwin Hernandez managed a solo homer in the third to cut the lead to 2-1, but that was it. The rest of the night belonged to Toronto.

The Blue Jays added insurance in the fourth when Ernie Clement drove in Daulton Varsho with a sacrifice fly. Then, in the seventh, Bo Bichette delivered a clutch single to right, scoring Alex Barger and advancing Guerrero Jr. to third after a wild pitch. The inning ended with the score 5-1. The final blow came in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to left, driving home Clement. 6-1. Game over.

Relief and Redemption on the Mound

The bullpen held firm. Seranthony Dominguez came in for the eighth and got one out before Blake Treinen replaced Anthony Banda for Los Angeles. But the final act belonged to Jeff Hoffman, the 31-year-old closer from Michigan. He entered with the bases empty in the ninth — no need for drama. He struck out former Blue Jay Teoscar Hernandez on a 96-mph fastball, ending the game at 10:47 PM PT. The crowd of 53,224 fell silent. The Toronto dugout poured onto the field.

What This Means for the Series

The Blue Jays’ postseason record now stands at 11-4. The Dodgers, once considered overwhelming favorites, are 9-6 and facing elimination. The momentum has shifted. The energy has shifted. And now, the series heads to Rogers Centre in Toronto for Game 6 on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 8:08 PM Eastern Time. The Blue Jays haven’t won a World Series in 32 years. They’ve waited since Joe Carter’s walk-off homer in ’93. Now, they’re one win away from doing it again — on their home turf.

Manager John Schneider of London, Ontario, summed it up: "Trey was absolutely masterful tonight. To come out as a rookie in Game 5 of the World Series and deliver a performance like that, setting strikeout records while keeping his composure—it’s historic and exactly what championship teams are built on." Meanwhile, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the deficit: "Blake didn’t have his usual command tonight. Those first-pitch homers were backbreakers, but we’ll regroup and fight to bring this series back home for a Game 7." If the Dodgers win Game 6, Game 7 returns to Dodger Stadium on Saturday, November 1, 2025. But for now, the narrative has changed. The Blue Jays aren’t just playing for a title — they’re playing for legacy.