🔗 Share this article Blue Jays One Step Away of Victory After Rookie Phenom Tames Los Angeles in Game 5 Trey Yesavage delivered a performance for the ages and Schneider connected for a homer on the opening pitch as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Dodgers 6–1 on Wednesday evening, standing one win away of their first championship 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 – setting a new World Series record. The rookie right-hander gave up only a single run on three hits in seven innings. His year commenced in the low minors with minimal fanfare, but has now been the winning pitcher in two of Toronto's three wins in this best-of-seven series. Early Offensive Explosion Toronto’s hitters gave him breathing room almost immediately. On the initial throw, Schneider drilled a 97-mile-per-hour heater and drove it over the left-field wall. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr followed with another blast to a similar location. It marked the historic first for the Fall Classic that consecutive home runs opened a game, stunning the crowd before most had found their seats. The Pitcher's Dominance Yesavage then assumed command. He fanned five in a row between the early frames, breaking a rookie pitching record before the streak was snapped by Kiké Hernández with a solo shot in the bottom of the third to make it 2–1. That was as close as Los Angeles would get. Extending the Lead In the fourth inning, Varsho lined a triple into the right-field corner after a misplay, and Clement delivered a sacrifice fly to plate the run for a 3–1 lead. The Los Angeles offense continued to sputter from there. After scoring six runs in Monday’s 18-inning marathon, they’ve scored a mere four times in nearly 30 innings. Late Inning Insurance The Dodgers starter persisted for over six frames but exited in the seventh after the bases were packed. Both runners he left behind came around to score – via a wild pitch and another on an RBI single – to push the lead to four runs. A hit in the eighth provided the last run. Relievers Seal the Deal Yesavage received a standing ovation upon leaving from the Toronto faithful, and the bullpen did the rest. The relief corps each worked a scoreless inning to close it out, fanning three batters collectively while preserving the rookie’s masterpiece. Dodgers' Lineup Shuffle Falters The Dodgers, who shuffled their lineup in an attempt to generate runs, again struggled to get going. Their star slugger went hitless in four at-bats and is now without a hit in his last seven appearances since setting a World Series on-base record in the third game. On the Verge of a Championship Now holding a 3-2 lead, Toronto head back to their home ballpark with two chances to clinch. The sixth game is set for Friday at their home field.