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Yesavage authored a masterclass on the mound and Davis Schneider homered on the very first pitch as the Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday, moving within one victory of their first title since 1993.

Yesavage's Historic Outing

The 22-year-old Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September, recorded 12 strikeouts and zero walks – achieving a historic World Series first. The first-year pitcher gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. He began the year pitching before a few hundred fans in Class A ball, but has now started and won two of Toronto’s three victories in this seven-game set.

Early Offensive Explosion

Toronto’s hitters gave him breathing room almost immediately. On the game's opening offering, Schneider turned on a 97mph fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr added a second home run to almost the exact same place. It marked the first time in World Series history that consecutive home runs opened a game, shocking the spectators before most had taken their places.

Yesavage Takes Control

Yesavage then took over. He retired five straight via strikeout between the early frames, establishing a new rookie mark before Kiké Hernández finally broke the streak with a home run in the bottom of the third to make it 2–1. That was the Dodgers' closest approach.

Building the Advantage

In the fourth, Daulton Varsho smacked a triple to right field after a misplay, and Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to bring him home for a 3–1 lead. The Dodgers' bats remained quiet from there. After managing six runs in a lengthy extra-inning contest, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings.

Seventh-Inning Rally

The starting pitcher persisted for over six frames but couldn’t escape the seventh after the bases were packed. Both runners he left behind came around to score – via a wild pitch and the other on a run-scoring hit – to make it 5–1. A hit in the eighth provided the concluding score.

Relievers Seal the Deal

Yesavage exited to a standing ovation from the traveling fans, and the bullpen did the rest. The late-inning pitchers each tossed a shutout frame to secure the victory, recording three strikeouts together while maintaining the stellar start.

Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters

The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again struggled to get going. Their top hitter went without a hit in four trips and is now riding an 0-for-7 skid since setting a World Series on-base record in Game 3.

Looking Ahead to Game 6

Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two chances to clinch. Game 6 is Friday night at Toronto's ballpark.