The 2025 World Series opener at Rogers Centre was billed as a clash of baseball titans: the Toronto Blue Jays’ relentless lineup versus the Los Angeles Dodgers’ vaunted rotation. But when the dust settled on Friday night, it was the Blue Jays who delivered the knockout blow, riding a historic nine-run sixth inning to a resounding 11-4 victory. The win not only gave Toronto a 1-0 series lead—it sent shockwaves through the Dodgers’ dugout and set the tone for what could be an unpredictable Fall Classic.
For much of the night, the contest looked like the pitcher’s duel fans expected. Dodgers ace Blake Snell, fresh off a nearly untouchable postseason run, took the mound with a sparkling 0.86 ERA in October. But the Blue Jays, hungry for their first World Series win since 1993, were undaunted. Rookie starter Trey Yesavage, who began the year in Low-A Dunedin and was making his World Series debut at just 22 years old, held his own through four innings despite battling with his command and a splitter that just wasn’t biting.
The Dodgers struck first, with Kiké Hernández’s RBI single in the second inning and Will Smith’s run-scoring knock in the third giving L.A. an early 2-0 lead. Yesavage, however, worked out of jams and kept the game within reach. In the bottom of the fourth, the Blue Jays answered emphatically. Alejandro Kirk led off with a single, and Daulton Varsho followed by launching a two-run homer to straightaway center—the first time Snell had surrendered a long ball to a left-handed hitter all season. Suddenly, the game was tied, and the Rogers Centre crowd came alive.
Both teams traded zeros in the fifth, and Snell looked poised to keep the Dodgers in control. But everything unraveled in the bottom of the sixth. Bo Bichette, making his return from a month-long absence with a left knee sprain, drew a leadoff walk. Kirk singled to right, and Snell, now at 100 pitches, plunked Varsho to load the bases and end his night. His final line: five innings, eight hits, five earned runs, three walks, four strikeouts, and one hit batter—a far cry from his previous dominance.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summoned Emmet Sheehan from the bullpen, hoping to douse the flames. Instead, the fire spread. Ernie Clement’s single drove in the go-ahead run, and pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-2. Andrés Giménez’s RBI single extended the lead to 5-2, and after a forceout at home, Roberts turned to Anthony Banda. The move backfired spectacularly. Addison Barger, pinch-hitting in his first World Series at-bat, crushed a grand slam to right-center—the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. The stadium erupted as Toronto’s bench poured out to greet Barger, whose heroics blew the game wide open.
“That was unreal. I just tried to stay calm and put a good swing on it,” Barger said postgame, grinning ear to ear. “I can’t believe it happened in this moment. The crowd was electric.”
The inning wasn’t over. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled, and Kirk, batting for the second time in the frame, launched a two-run homer to center. By the time the carnage ended, the Blue Jays had sent 13 men to the plate, scored nine runs—the third-highest tally in a single inning in World Series history—and effectively put the game out of reach at 11-2. The Dodgers bullpen, a sore spot all season and further weakened by the absence of Alex Vesia due to personal reasons, had been ruthlessly exposed.
“We didn’t execute pitches, and they made us pay,” Roberts conceded. “You tip your cap to their hitters. We’ve got to regroup and come back stronger.”
The Dodgers tried to claw back in the seventh, with Shohei Ohtani providing a glimmer of hope by smashing a two-run homer—his fourth in two games—but it was too little, too late. The Blue Jays’ relievers, including rookie Will Klein and veteran Chris Bassitt, kept L.A. at bay the rest of the way.
For Toronto, the victory was about more than just numbers. It marked the end of a 32-year drought since their last World Series win, and the fans let their joy ring out with every big swing. Bo Bichette’s return was another reason to celebrate—he finished 1-for-2 with a walk before exiting for a pinch-runner in the sixth, and even flashed the leather at second base, a position he hadn’t played since his minor league days in 2019.
“It felt great to be back out there with the guys,” Bichette said. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, and to contribute in a game like this is special.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, were left searching for answers. Their bullpen, already a question mark, had imploded at the worst possible time. Sheehan and Banda, two of L.A.’s top relief arms, combined to surrender seven runs without recording an out in that fateful sixth inning. With Vesia unavailable and Roki Sasaki, the rookie fireballer, still learning the closer’s role, the Dodgers suddenly find themselves in a precarious position.
“We’ve leaned on our starters a lot, but the bullpen has to step up,” Will Smith noted. “It’s a long series, and we know what we’re capable of.”
Despite the lopsided result, the series is far from over. The Dodgers have a track record of bouncing back from adversity, and with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to start Game 2 against Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, there’s no shortage of intrigue heading into Saturday’s matchup. The Blue Jays, for their part, know that taking Game 1 is only the first step—history shows that the Game 1 winner has captured the title 63% of the time, but nothing is guaranteed in October.
“It’s just one game,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider reminded reporters. “We’re going to enjoy this tonight, but we know the Dodgers are going to come out swinging tomorrow. We’ve got to be ready.”
As the teams prepare for Game 2, the spotlight remains firmly on Toronto’s surging offense and the Dodgers’ battered bullpen. Can L.A. rediscover its pitching magic and even the series, or will the Blue Jays’ bats continue to make history north of the border? One thing’s for sure: this World Series has already delivered fireworks, and the best may be yet to come.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night in Toronto, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PDT). The stage is set, the stakes are higher than ever, and both teams know that in October, momentum can shift in the blink of an eye.
